It’s the time of the year when it is hard not to overindulge. But there are ways to enjoy the festive season without having a weight hangover in the new year. Here’s how:
Plan and Prepare
To avoid overeating at restaurants, piling too much food on to your plate or resorting to high-carb snacks, plan and prepare your meals. Have healthy snacks and foods available so that you aren’t tempted to chew on the wrong thing. Figure out what meal you want to cook in advance and have all of the ingredients ready so that you don’t end up substituting with too many carbs.
Go easy on the carbs
Banting and many other eating plans, including The Diet Everyone Talks About, recommend moderating the amount of carbs that you eat. Carbohydrates are sugars and starches – the energy foods we eat.
Cutting out carbs ensures that the body uses its energy from the fat of our body instead, boosting the metabolism. Eating fats such as cream, biltong and eggs, on the other hand, can actually help weight loss and improve health.
Moderation
Stop eating when you’re full. It’s easier said than done but if you consciously chew your food and enjoy it, you may find that you don’t need a second helping. Also try and eat a light supper before 6pm so your body isn’t going to sleep with a full stomach of food not being metabolised.
Holiday routine
Whether you’re eating breakfast at 10am at a resort or fetching children from holiday activities, get into a routine and eat breakfast, lunch and supper. That way you’ll be less likely to snack on the wrong things or skip meals so that you overeat at a later point.
Move and Shake
The holidays are a great opportunity to use the extra time to go for a run or play with your children. Make the most of the summer days with your family by staying active and drinking lots of water. You’ll also sleep like a baby for a full eight hours at night after daily activities – another great tip for weight loss.
Drink Smart
Everyone enjoys a summer cocktail or two or a nice cold beer over the holidays, but don’t binge drink. Many alcoholic beverages are very high in carbs and can undermine all of your weight-loss efforts.