Do you remember that feeling of delicious excitement that we used to feel as children when the end of the year holidays approached? Sadly, for many of us it has been replaced by a feeling of dread…and not just at the prospect of opening our credit card bill in January!
For some, an even greater fear awaits: the prospect of facing the bathroom scale after weeks of festive eating and drinking.
It is not for nothing that they once called holidays like Christmas “holidays.” In medieval times, these festivals were rare islands of indulgence in oceans of famine that lasted for months.
In the developed world these days, the closest we come to starvation is when we work through lunch. It can be a battle to keep our weight under control in the face of everyday food temptations. The end of the year parties can take us to the limit.
But it does not have to be like that. Here are five simple tips to beat the holiday fat traps…and the inevitable guilt that follows. He’ll be relieved to learn that none of them involve starvation. In fact, the first tip actually advises the exact opposite…
1) Have a good breakfast
This may seem counterintuitive, but this advice applies to everyday life, so why change it during the holidays? Many people sleep late and skip breakfast on vacation. By the time lunch or dinner arrives, they are hungry and put much more into their mouths than usual.
I assume, of course, that your usual breakfast is sensible and healthy. Starting your day with a stack of pancakes, grits, bacon, and six eggs is NOT a great way to start your day, vacation or no!
2) Drink at least eight glasses of water a day
You should drink plenty of water every day anyway. During the holidays this is even more important.
We all tend to drink more alcohol or sugary soft drinks during vacation periods. I’m not going to be a spoilsport and suggest you deny yourself these indulgences, but try to alternate each “bad” drink with a glass of water. If it’s a glass of sparkling mineral water, with a slice of lemon, it won’t look or feel out of place. Your head and stomach will thank you the next morning.
3) Fill up on fiber
Drink one to eight or more glasses of water half an hour to forty minutes before your main meal, along with a fiber supplement. There’s also no need to buy overpriced and overpriced dietary aids like ZetaCap or FiberThin. A product like Metamucil is much cheaper and just as effective.
You’ll feel fuller when the food arrives, so you’ll eat less. And thanks to the extra fiber in your diet, food won’t stay in your digestive system for as long, meaning less will be absorbed to ultimately reach your waist or thighs.
4) Control your own pace
This applies to the holiday season as a whole and to each of the great meals you find during this period. By all means, enjoy the holidays, but resist the urge to turn every day between Thanksgiving and New Years into a holiday.
When presented with a table laden with all kinds of delicious treats, the natural response is to fill your plate with as much as you can fit on it. Go for more, but the smallest helps. Eat a piece of turkey with some vegetables. Then he goes back for a slice of ham and potatoes. Hmm, that sauerkraut looks good…
Chew slowly and talk to your friends and family. Parties are by their nature leisure affairs. Use this to your advantage and take your time. This way, your stomach will have plenty of time to register that it’s full, which doesn’t happen when you devour a large plate of food.
The advantage is that you can actually enjoy the dessert, instead of forcing it out of obligation.
5) Take a walk
Yes, the holidays offer more culinary temptations. But they also offer more opportunities for fun activities and fat burning.
Go for a leisurely swim or walk on the beach if you live in a warm climate. If not, take a relaxing walk in the woods with your children. Or cuddle up with your partner in front of a roaring fire… which is sure to lead to one of the most effective and enjoyable forms of exercise!
Happy Holidays!