Research from the University of Hawaii shows that most peoples annual weight gain occurs between October and February. But, if you research “Holiday Eating Tips” or similar search, there’s a bunch of really bad tips out there, trust me, I did it.
So, after spending hours scouring the web, and discussing it with Dr. Kepo’o, here’s the Dirobi easy to follow, effective top 10 list of holiday eating tips designed to keep you healthy during the holidays!
Not only do most people gain weight during the holidays, unfortunately, holiday weight often isn’t lost during the rest of the year. According to examine.com:
“Several studies have found that weight gain during the holiday seasons is not lost during the spring and summer months, suggesting that holiday treats may be a key player in the slow, insidious weight gain most adults observe with age.”
So… don’t let the short term Holiday season turn into a long term health bummer! Enjoy the season, but keep the weight loss low with these 10 tips!
1. Water is your best friend. Here are a few ways water can help you avoid packing on pounds during holidays.
First, drink more water starting right now. Most people simply don’t drink enough water. Plus, most people who THINK they drink enough don’t!
You can test this by asking yourself this question: “How many times in the last 24 hours have I been uncomfortable because I really needed to pee?” If the answer is none, you probably aren’t drinking enough 😉
- Keep a bottle with you, and drink half your body weight in ounces daily. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need 75 ounces.
- Next, drink a full glass of water before every meal. This will get you feeling full, and help you keep from gorging.
- Lastly, don’t drink calories! At parties try to moderate your alcohol and sugary drink intake with sparkling water and lemon. Dr Joe suggest making the water room temperature or warm for better results.
2. Weigh yourself daily during the holidays. According to Psychology today, weighing daily helps people lose weight and keep it off.
3. Don’t arrive hungry. Eat some healthy food before you go to the party or dinner. You will not only feel better, you’ll be a better guest as well. A salad or an apple is a great pre-event option.
4. Ratio Your Plate. You can absolutely eat a large plate of food, and really enjoy it, without it being a fat inducing stomach bomb. It’s simple, really.
Put the veggies on first. Salad, steamed veggies, raw veggies, whatever. Choose the ones you love most and fill half your plate with them.
Next, add the meat, as much as you want. Then, add the potatoes or whatever other high carb dish is being served, but keep this portion small, definitely smaller than the size of your fist.
Lastly, go easy on the gravy, don’t smother the entire plate with it, just put on enough to flavor the dish. Chew slowly and enjoy every single bite.
5. Really enjoy half a dessert! Most people take too much dessert, then scarf it down like it’s the last thing they are ever going to eat.
Instead, share a dessert with your partner or a friend, and take tiny bites, savoring every single one of them! You will make your dessert last longer, taste better, and avoid downing unnecessary calories.
6. Eat a healthy breakfast. Include lean protein and fiber. Eggs are a superfood, and an omelet with fresh veggies is delicious and filling. Green Smoothies are another great option. Don’t skip any meals the day of the party.
7. Keep your exercise regimen going! While it’s true you can’t out-exercise pour nutrition, exercise burns calories, helps you sleep better, and is a discipline that is likely to keep you from gorging more than you should.
8. Avoid white carbs! Breads, crackers, cookies, cake, potatoes, and sugars. If you just can’t avoid them, be super selective of what you put on your plate, choose the one portion you will enjoy the most, and as in above example, eat it slowly, and savor it, and don’t have any more!
9. Don’t eat from bowls or bags. If you must have cheesy snacks, potato chips, nachos etc., the best way is to take a small portion, put it on a plate and don’t replenish it.
Eat it slowly and deliberately, and enjoy every last naughty bite! Did you know that a portion of nachos with cheese has 346 calories?! And a portion is only 6-8 nachos! If you eat from the bowl or bag, it’s too easy to down 1,000 plus calories without even realizing what you did.
10. Avoid unhealthy people. Let’s face it, most people adopt a lousy health attitude during the holidays… but not everybody. There’s usually some health conscious people in the room.
Sit by them, or spend most of your time with them, they will help you overcome that blasted little sugar devil on your shoulder.
The old saying “birds of a feather flock together” is true, and we tend to be influenced, for good or bad, by those closest to us. So, keep healthy company the best you can!
Lastly, if you really want to get ahead of your New Years Resolution and actually LOSE WEIGHT during the holidays, do this:
- Order some Pounds and Inches Drops.
- Use Thanksgiving meal as day one of your loading day, and the following Friday and Saturday as completion of loading phase.
- Eat according to the very simple principles of the Dirobi UnDiet. This sane, simple, 7 step plan will help you achieve your ideal body weight simply and naturally, without counting a single calorie.
- Allow yourself some treats during Christmas and New Years, but not too much. By observing the UnDiet during the non-holiday meals you may not only keep the pounds off, but lose a few before the New Year.
Voila! You enter the new year lighter than you were on Thanksgiving day, and thoroughly enjoyed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years! What a great plan!
Click here to grab these tips in printable PDF format… fridge ready.
Notes:
Examine.com has an excellent article on holiday eating studies here: https://examine.com/nutrition/meta-minimizing-fat-gain/
University of Hawaii Study:
http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/Prospective%20Study%20of%20Holiday%20Weight%20Gain.pdf
Psychology Today piece on weighing yourself daily: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/minding-the-body/201312/daily-weighing-may-help-manage-your-weight
