The holidays are my favourite time of year. I connect with my family, I adore the beautiful decorations and the cozy lights, but with all of the holiday cheer there’s also a lot of hustle and bustle too.
Not to mention the abundance of chocolates, decadent holiday treats wine, champagne and alcohol absolutely everywhere makes this a risky season to lose all of the amazing weight loss progress you’ve made.
Of course you want to enjoy yourself, but at the same time you don’t want to sabotage all of your hard work and effort. After all, it seems like it only takes a night or a week or two to gain back the weight, but it may have taken you months to find what worked and lose it in the first place.. am I right?
So how can you truly let go and enjoy this wonderful season, yet make sure you’ll continue to see weight loss results OR at least maintain your hard work throughout the holiday season?
Here are 3 really easy ways to reduce your calories, let go of the guilt and enjoy every moment of the festivities while continuing to maintain or lose weight during the season.
Drink Fibre before the party:
If you’ve got a holiday party at night, stick to your healthy eating plan during the day, but before you leave the house for the evening, drink a high fibre smoothy, or a high fibre vegetable soup.
Fibre is a healthy and natural appetite suppressant. Not only can fibre reduce cholesterol, reduce your risk of bowel cancer and help control blood sugar, but it also makes you feel full for longer.
What to do: By drinking a high fibre vegetable smoothy or vegetable soup, you’ll still get to enjoy the taste of a few high calorie decadent treats at the holiday party, but you won’t have as much room to eat them all. It’s the perfect way to enjoy the holiday goodies without gaining extra weight.
Swap Alcohol and Sugary Drinks For Fizzy Water:
If wine or sugary drinks are your vice, after the third or fourth attempt at turning the drinks away, your willpower may wear thin and you may be tempted to give in. So take away the temptation right from the moment you arrive.
You could be designated driver to avoid drinking, but people still try to convince you to have “just one drink”, or to have sugary hot apple cider and pop as second alternatives. These drinks contain unwanted calories that quickly add up.
What to Do: Ask for a Soda water and add a lime wedge. It’s zero calories but resembles a drink. It stops the world from asking what you’ll have plus it keeps your willpower in tact.
As an added precaution bring a bottle of soda water as a fun contribution to the party. That way you know you’ve got your low calorie option the second you arrive.
Create a Simple Plan of Attack:
When you set a concrete and achievable action plan. A program you’ll start on January 2nd, or a workout routine and healthy eating plan after Boxing Day, then you’ll know there’s an end in site and you can enjoy the present moment with the friends and family you love.
Also, try a quick mindset shift. Instead of thinking “I can eat everything I see because I’m starting a new weight loss program in January”, you can shift your thoughts to ” I’ll try to be a bit more mindful of my portions because it’ll make getting back into it so much easier and more enjoyable when I start”.
What to do: Find a weight loss or fitness program that sounds interesting to try. Sign up now with an after holiday start date. This can be a local gym membership, a fitness coach consultation or an online fitness program. Just knowing you’ve got a start date again will keep you help you be more mindful now, but also help you enjoy the holiday treats now.
You can continue to lose weight, or sustain your current weight loss during the holiday season. Incorporate these 2 simple strategies into your planning and you can enjoy a happier, healthier, guilt free holiday season.