Love Christmas? Us too, but it can be a tough time of year when you’re trying to lose weight. Here are our top 10 tips to enjoy Christmas without compromising your goals.
Break it down
The Christmas period will no doubt have more celebrations than your average month, which is part of what makes this time of year feel so difficult when it comes to losing weight. The trick? Don’t eat in excess too often.
Enjoy yourself when it’s an occasion to celebrate, but in between parties or gatherings do your best to maintain your usual healthy habits: eating well, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.
Know your limits
You want to have a good time (and we want you to have a good time!) but be aware that the festive period can be an excuse to drink more than usual and to overindulge on rich food. Do this too much and you’ll end up feeling fatigued, heavy, and may suffer from indigestion or bloating. Try to take it slow, as you’ll feel so much better for it.
Be mindful
If you’ve got a party later, it’s worth adjusting your daily diet accordingly. We don’t mean skipping meals, as going into a celebration so hungry that you want to eat everything in sight just sets you up for disaster, but just be wary of what and how much you eat in the lead up. Eat meals that are high in protein to keep you feeling nicely satisfied and pay attention to your appetite.
Discreetly decline
It’s ok to say no. Yes, people do tend to take offence at this time of year (how many times do people say, ‘but it’s Christmas!’ as an excuse for justifying overindulgence?), but if you’ve been trying to lose weight and improve your health all year and you don’t want to start reversing your progress, just say no. No one can force you to eat anything you don’t want to.
Indulge in healthy luxuries
Luxuries don’t have to be unhealthy. Think about whether there are any healthier foods you enjoy but rarely eat during the year – clementines, a nice bit of fish, turkey? Make the most of them while they’re around.
Avoid grazing
You know the rule: don’t graze while cooking. It’s very tempting to try a bit of everything, but if you graze and then eat a portion size as normal, you’re just adding random extra calories to your daily intake. Just hold off and eat once it’s all served up.
Get organized
Some people find that ordering the food shop online is a better option that going in yourself, where you’re bound to be tempted by all sorts of things that you weren’t planning on buying (no, you don’t need another tub of Celebrations).
It might be too late to book a good festive delivery slot, so go in with a strict list and don’t buy Christmas goodies too early, because you know as well as we do that it’ll all get eaten and you’ll still go out and buy another lot.
Plan out what you’re going to eat, make a list, and stick to it.
Keep exercising
Keeping your body moving means you’ll feel less sluggish and groggy when you (inevitably) eat loads of festive goodies. Long walks are a great way to get your steps in, and can be done with the whole family so you can socialize in the fresh air at the same time.
Set a date
How soon after Christmas will your overindulging stop? Will it be in the lull between Christmas and New Year, or would you rather take the pressure off and start again when January rolls around?
Whatever you think is best, it can help to set a date. Make a plan and stick to it – it’ll be tough but those healthy habits will be worth starting again.
Enjoy it
Despite everything, we do really want you to enjoy your Christmas. It’s rare that we get the opportunity to take some time out, to celebrate and reflect on the year and to spend time with loved ones, so make the most of it. If that involves more food and indulgence than usual, then so be it, you can pick things up again whenever you like. Savour your Christmas and enjoy every mouthful.