Lose Weight Over the Holidays

4:18 AM Weight Loss Trainer 0 Comments

The holidays are synonymous with baked goodies, candies, and fatty party foods. For people who are trying to lose weight, the holidays can be a stressful time. By adopting a few simple adjustments for a few weeks, a dieter can continue to lose weight during the holidays.

Fill Up Before You Go Out

Holiday parties usually have buffet tables that are several feet long, laden with tens of thousands of calories. You can avoid filling up on these sugary, fatty foods by eating before you go to the party. Thirty minutes before you leave for your destination, have a low calorie snack that is high in fiber.

For instance, you could have sliced carrots, cucumbers, and celery. For a savory, high protein addition, dip your vegetables in hummus. Fill a travel mug with filtered water or unsweetened tea, and sip this on the way to the party.

Once you're at the party, you can taste a couple of things from the buffet table. Because your stomach will be filled with fiber and liquid, you won't have the appetite to over indulge.

Don't Drink Your Calories

Americans drink too many of their calories to begin with. Factor in the calorie-heavy holiday wines, ciders, and egg nogs, and you could easily have an entire days worth of calories in liquid form.

Instead of drinking liquid calories, drink water with every meal and snack. If you absolutely must have a cup of egg nog, don't eat any snacks with the drink. The drink alone will be your snack for that day.

Shoppercise

Instead of getting valet parking or driving around the mall parking lot until you find a convenient parking space, park your car at the furthest parking space you can find. Take this completely to heart.

If you need to buy something at one end of the mall, park your car at the opposite end of the mall, in a space that is furthest from the building. At a rate of 200-250 calories burned per hour (depending on your weight, gender, and age), you can easily burn off some of your holiday nibbles by walking more while you shop.

Get Plenty of Rest

According to WebMD, lack of sleep causes the body to release stress hormones that cause the body to feel hungry more often and hold on to body fat. These hormones are a link between sleep deprivation and being over weight. In order to avoid putting your body under this stress (and packing on a few extra pounds), be sure to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night during the holidays. Holiday parties and family obligations may make this difficult, but if you want to remain healthy and lose weight during the holidays, it's important to get the proper amount of rest.

Don't Eat too Late

Bob Greene, a respected physiologist, advises his clients to avoid consuming any calories for three hours before bedtime. Eating too soon before bedtime could interfere with proper sleep cycles, preventing the body from resting properly. If you'll be attending parties, just be sure to fill up early in the evening, and sip water for the rest of the evening.