13 ways to prevent holiday weight gain

Read on to know how you can avoid getting bulkier during the festive time!

The holiday season is the time to celebrate and meet and greet our loved ones. Whilst this joyful time, it is certainly difficult to maintain weight and stick to healthy eating goals. Here are a few tips to help you achieve this and prevent unnecessary weight gain.

Be active

Instead of just lying around, get going and help your family and friends to clean, decorate, and organize for the celebratory get-together. You can also bond over family walk during this time.

Snack sensibly

Do not consume cookies and festive goodies endlessly. Keep fresh fruits and water bottle at a close distance to prevent seeking unhealthy food choices for untimely hunger pangs.

Watch the food portion

Use smaller plates to eat as it will prevent consumption of large food portions, even if you take multiple food servings.

Eat mindfully

Chew your food well and eat when relaxed as during festivities we tend to feel anxious and excited, which can increase our appetite.

Sleep well

Lack of sleep is associated with increased secretion of hunger hormones, which result in increased appetite and consumption of more calories.

Control stress

Increased stress results in a high level of cortisol hormone that increases food intake and causes weight gain.

Eat proteins

Usually, festive food preparations are rich in carbs and contain a low protein content. But, consciously consuming protein-rich foods instead of carb-rich preparation can increase your metabolism and reduce appetite.

Eat fiber

This is a vital nutrient for our good health and it induces fullness. So, consuming a good portion of fibrous foods can reduce overall food intake and help achieve regular bowel movements.

Prevent food tasting

It is best to resist being a food taster for the festive cooking as it will result in unnecessary consumption of abundant calories.

Limit desserts

It may seem impossible for many, but controlling dessert portion is the easiest and most effective way to not pile up calories during holidays.

Control liquid calories

Consumption of alcohol and soda tends to shoot up during this time, which bulks you up and “shrink your clothes at night”.

Practice healthy cooking

Use low-calorie alternatives to regular sugar, add less butter, bake instead of frying, and use low-fat food alternatives to limit the calorie intake.

Avoid processed foods

Eat only freshly prepared preparations to limit unaccounted intake of sodium, sugar, and fat.