How to prevent weight gain at Christmas

Lets begin by reassuring ourselves that we don’t gain that much weight during the festive season. While most people do gain weight during the Christmas and New year period, the gain is less than what most people think. In a study, by researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in the US and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, they found that most of the yearly gain was added during the Christmas period, even though it was less than previously thought. The study found that most people gain an average of 0.36kg (0.8ib) during the 6 weeks of  Thanksgiving to Christmas. This is good news for most of us.Here comes the bad news, the weight gained during the festive season is likely to stay you with. Most people do not lose the weight after that. This means that we grow fatter year on year. This is easily logical because gaining weight has always been easier than losing weight for most people.

So here are a few simple tips to follow to keep your weight stable during this Christmas:

1) Eat slowly

There is no doubt that you will need to eat, and anytime your plate is empty, please sure that your host will be promptly refilling your plates for you. In order not to look impolite by refusing food, eat slowly. Eating slowly not only allows time for you stomach to feel full, it also keeps your plate filled most of the time, preventing the need to refuse any top up to your plates

2) Minimise alcohol intake

Too much alcohol not only dull your senses and gives you a hangover the next day, it is also an excellent source of calories. Keep to 1 to 2 glasses of wine or beer.

3) Eat what you want but limit the portion

The idea is to enjoy the Christmas season. Don’t become miserable this Christmas just because you have to forgo your favorite log cake or turkey in order not to gain weight. Eat the food that you want, just limit yourself to the portion taken.

4) Have lighter meals

If you are going for a Christmas party, try having a lighter and healthier lunch so that the total caloric intake for the day is balanced. Try having just some salad with vinegar dressing or no dressing for lunch. Alternatively, have some fruits for breakfast.

5) Exercise

If you have to take in the calories, the alternative is to burn them off. Keep to your usual exercise regime this festive season.
6) Enjoy

Finally, it’s important that you enjoy this Christmas season. Remember, don’t end up being a slim grump. Stay healthy, but more important, stay happy.