Coping With Christmas - Without Weight Gain!

Once upon a time, Christmas was all about giving. Giving up on my diet, that is.

The feasting began when the first giant tin of chocolates arrived in the office, then dragged on ‘til mid-January when my jeans wouldn't zip up. It's hard to stay on track this time of year, whether you're maintaining or trying to lose weight. So many parties, so many mince pies! How do you let your hair down without winding up a lardy ball of regret by New Year? 

I used to think it was an impossible dream, but after years of practice I think I've finally got a healthy Christmas cracked. Let me share my strategies...

Forget about losing weight

I aim to maintain, but don't panic if I put on a pound or two. Why? I love Christmas and I love food.  I tried to abstain in the past – declining party invites, vowing to eat steamed sprouts and turkey while my family scoffed the good stuff. Or I'd go to the other extreme, giving myself licence to eat in December, because of course I'd start over in January!

But those tricks never worked. "Just one more crisp before the bells!" I'd say at 11.59PM on New Years Eve. Then the champagne came out and I'd renegotiate: "I'll start again at midday!" Giving up the all or nothing mindset allowed me to come up with a healthier ways to cope.

Plan, plan, plan

I study my calendar like a war General. Every social event is a battle and you need a strategy! What food will be there? What temptations will you encounter? How will you deal?

Example: The office party

Strategies:

• Eat huge bowl of porridge for breakfast to line stomach.
• Examine menu in advance and choose the most veggie-laden option.
• Alternate boozy drinks with water.
• If tempted to eat more than I need, get up on the dance floor!

Example: Boxing Day lunch at the in-laws’

Strategies:

• Volunteer to be designated driver to avoid guzzling the port.
• Practice saying, that was delicious but I'll pass on seconds, thanks!
• Book a gym class for next day to get the endorphins buzzing as soon as possible.

Make a list

I'm too old to write to Santa but I do write a list of my favourite festive foods. I get honest and think about what really makes my tastebuds sing. Home made walnut sticky toffee Christmas cake? Totally worth it. Cheap and nasty choc-covered peanuts in the office? Not worth the calories. It may sound dorky but this detailed thinking makes me more aware of my choices and helps prevent mindless grazing of food I don’t really fancy. So just say you really love plum pudding, plan to have a fat wedge of it with lashings of custard - but don't spoil it by nibbling on stale crisps or three extra potatoes beforehand. Let the anticipation build. Take your time and savour every morsel.

Shop carefully

I treat Christmas food shopping like any other week of the year: I plan my meals and buy only what I need. I'm a long-time fan of online grocery shopping and it's even better at Christmas. I have to be organised and book a delivery slot a few weeks in advance, but I feel smug knowing I won't be elbowing my way through aisles of tempting treats and last-minute turkey hunters. I also order ingredients for the first few days after Christmas so I can get back to normal right away.

Don't stockpile

I used to buy extra food at Christmas "just in case somebody pops around” – even when I first moved the UK and only knew six people in the entire country! But let's be honest – when I buy too much food I feel compelled to polish it off, "so it doesn't go to waste". The supermarkets only close for one day - there's no need to fill the trolley like the world is about to end.

Exercise portion control

Among the treats on my Christmas list is Terry's Chocolate Orange. I could happily munch the whole "fruit" on my own but now I buy one if there’s at least one other person to share it with. It pains me to part with those precious segments but I know it's for the best!

Keep moving

No matter how many parties are on I make sure to exercise regularly. As well as a great hangover cure, it helps counter any extra calories. It also reminds me of how great it feels to be fit, so my healthy goals stay bubbling in the back of my mind when faced with a Christmas buffet. My sister and I have started a new tradition of a brisk hour’s walk before breakfast on Christmas Day. Sure, we drink champagne and eat bagels with smoked salmon and cream cheese afterwards – but it’s all about balance, right?

Happy holidays, everyone!

Source: WeightLossResources

How to prevent weight gain over Christmas

SWEET TREATS: Party food is just one of the many temptations during the silly season

The holidays are a notorious time for weight gain – the result of extra food, less structure in our days and the fact that we often give ourselves permission to eat what we like while taking a break. Research suggests we then struggle to lose those extra kilos. So to avoid becoming a victim of holiday weight gain again this year, we have developed this survival guide.

1) Move more than ever
One of the biggest barriers to weight control in day-to-day life is that busy lives mean we struggle to find the time to exercise. During holidays there is no such excuse. You have more time and whether you choose to prioritise exercise is up to you. Will you schedule extra training sessions, walk twice each day at the beach, walk more and drive less and basically take every opportunity to move your body, or will you minimise movement like you usually do? The choice is yours. As a rule of thumb, commit to at least an hour of movement each day, whether it is a morning walk or afternoon run, hike or bike ride, as well as activities that also require movement, such as beach swims, golf, shopping or recreational sports.

2) Stop snacking
Holidays mean you have more time to prepare nutritionally balanced meals. You are also likely to be sleeping a little more and hence have fewer hours each day to eat and if your meals are larger you will not need to be snacking. The constant grazing and snacking that infiltrates our lives when things are busy causes havoc with weight control. The holiday period is a perfect time to get back into the habit of three regular, well-balanced meals each day.

3) Take your food with you
It does not matter if you are flying, going on a car trip, for a picnic or just to a friend's barbecue, if you want to commit to eating well and controlling your weight, get into the habit of taking food with you. If you have salad/vegetables and protein options on hand, you are less likely to eat non-nutritious, high-carbohydrate snack foods that are readily available. That is not to say you cannot enjoy treats, but it means you never become a victim of your food environment and find yourself forced to eat high-calorie, non-filling foods because you were hungry and had no other choice but to eat what was there.

4) Do not give yourself permission to overeat
Whether it is several trips to the all-you-can-eat buffet, 25 high-fat canapes, or binge-eating on food you never would usually just because it is holiday time, a crucial behaviour associated with weight control, even during holidays, is to continue your regular diet. That means not giving yourself psychological permission to eat more than you usually would, for no other reason than it is a holiday. Sure, you might indulge in a few more drinks that you usually would, or have an extra dessert, but you do not have to overeat for the sake of it.

5) Learn the art of compensation

Holidays mean fun times, which can also mean extra treats and more down time. A key skill when it comes to achieving the right balance between good food, regular social occasions and weight control is learning to compensate when we have overdone things. Whether this means factoring in extra exercise, or an alcohol-free period, a couple of days of light eating following several days of higher-calorie eating or extra walks, learning to compensate when we have eaten more than usual is a useful strategy to help y control your weight.

6) Keep an eye on the scales
Dieters who have lost large amounts of weight, and kept it off, keep a close eye on the scales. The simple act of checking your weight regularly is enough to keep you self-aware when the numbers begin to creep up and mindful of your daily choices when you might need to cut back a little. It is a simple yet effective way to prevent weight gain long term. If you find weighing yourself regularly daunting, start with just once a week, in the morning. Tuesdays and Fridays – after the weekend and before the weekend – are good days to check your weight on a weekly basis. 

Source: Life & Style