How to Avoid Gaining Too Much Weight During the Holidays?

A question i’ve been asked lately…

The holidays are one of the toughest times of year when it comes to staying healthy.
We have holiday parties, temptations at the office and who knows what else to deal with.

That being said, you do NOT have to just accept the fact that you are going to pack on the fat during the holidays. I hear a lot of people talking this way:

People say:

“Oh I’ll just burn off the calories I ate in today’s workout”

(nice try – not going to happen)

“There’s nothing I can do … I’ll just start fresh in 2019”

(most probably not).

I’m sharing with you 8 tips that I personally use to stay healthy during the holidays.

1- Be realistic and Calm down

Don’t try to lose weight during the holidays, instead try to maintain your current weight.
You’re not going to ruin all your hard work with one day of bad eating.
It takes weeks, months and years of bad eating to ruin your shape.

2- Never go with an empty stomach

Never go to a party or for shopping while you’re hungry. This will only cause you to eat more throughout the night. Try to have a small snack before attending so you aren’t ravenous when you arrive.

3- Don’t skip your workouts

Try to workout a least once or twice a week during this period.This will help to burn off the excess calories and fat consumed over this period.

4- Stock up on healthy snacks

When you go shopping, make sure to have with you some healthy snacks like dried fruits, protein bars or raw nuts.

5- Eat until you are satisfied

Don’t eat until you’re stuffed. Savor your favorite holiday treats while eating small portions. Sit down, get comfortable, and enjoy.

6- HO HO HO H2O

Drink lots of water!
Many people believe that mild dehydration may feel like hunger and the best way to avoid becoming dehydrated to drink plenty of water.
Have a glass of water before you start drinking alcoholic beverages, and have one in between drinks to slow down your alcohol consumption as well.

7- Act like an accountant

If you overeat at one meal go light on the next. It takes 500 calories per day (or 3,500 calories per week) above your normal/maintenance consumption to gain 1/2 kg.

It is IMPOSSIBLE to gain weight from one piece of cheesecake!

8- Be Careful with Desserts

There is no one that will tell you to give up desserts at holidays. Desserts are a huge part of what makes the season so amazing.

But consuming too much of anything is a bad thing.

First of all, if you know you’re going to have dessert after your main meal, modify the rest of your menu.

Load up on the lighter foods like your grilled vegetables, salads and lean proteins.

Healthy Living is a Lifestyle

Trust me, you don’t want to be that fitness freak that is missing out on spending the holidays with family and friends because there may be alcohol and treats there!

Having balance is what allows us Healthy Lifestylers to rock it all year-long. And trust me, once you get to that mindset, your body will change forever!