When people say that they gained a bit of weight over the holidays, they’re not alone. On average, Americans gain between 8 and 12 pounds between the holidays of Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
Unfortunately, we all know that it’s much harder to lose weight than to gain it – especially during the holidays. The best strategy is to maintain your current weight over the holidays, which already has you ahead of the game come January.
Tip #1 – Start by taking the edge off
The first thing that you’ll need to eliminate is the pressure to overeat. One strategy you can use to accomplish this is to make certain that you eat good for you food before you take off for the party. Having a full belly makes it a lot easier to avoid indulging in fatty foods, high carb foods and the other junk foods that tend to be served at parties.
Also, remember that tons of calories are ‘hidden’ in the wine, gravy, bread and butter, cheese and salad dressing which are oftentimes available at parties, well, the good parties at least!
Tip #2 – Use exercise to fight the blues
The days are getting darker around this time of year and it’s easier to get depressed. Exercise will not only help you to maintain your weight, it will also help you to fight off depression.
If you’re not enrolled in any races or other fitness related activity over the winter months, you don’t have to worry about maintaining an intense training schedule. In fact, it’s okay to lighten it up – cut down your exercise period from a full hour to a half-hour, for example. Instead of shooting for 4-6 days/week, do 3-or 4 days/week.
Tip #3 – Remember to drink your water
Another good strategy that may help your appetite is to drink more water instead of eating junk food full of empty calories. It will give you a feeling of being full and will prevent you from getting so ravenous that you are tempted to indulge in the worst food that the holidays have to offer.
A few parting words of advice
During the holiday season it’s important to keep your morale up when it comes to eating and weight, but the availability of large quantities of bad, fattening food and the increased hours of darkness during the holidays can make that very difficult.
Stick to your exercise schedule, adopt smart strategies to keep yourself from overeating and you will not only keep your weight down, you’ll also avoid falling victim to the winter blues. You’ll be surprised at how much a good workout can do for burning off holiday stress and the blah feeling that comes with the dark days.
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