Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

The average American gains between one and two pounds between Halloween and New Year’s, these are the pounds that are most difficult to lose.  Approximately 75% of annual weight gain takes places during the holidays.  Here are some simple tips and tricks to avoid that dreaded holiday weight gain!

Exercise
Staying consistent with your workouts is very important all year round, especially during the holidays.  If you find yourself indulging just a little too much, add another workout or two to your current routine each week.   If you are not working out at all, this is the perfect time to start! You can also motivate your friends or family who need a jump start by giving them a gift card to CHHRC or even purchase a membership for them. If you need a little help with your workouts, we have many personal trainers at CHHRC to fit any of your fitness goals.

Moderation and Balance
The key to getting through the holidays without ruining your diet is to remember two words – moderation and balance. Allow yourself to indulge and eat the things you love but keep your portions small and don’t overeat.  Managing your weight comes down to what you put in your mouth.  Stick to eating the foods you really love, in moderation. Besides, what’s the point in wasting calories on something you don’t love?

Sleep and Relax
Not getting enough sleep and high stress levels are two of the biggest weight gain culprits. Sleep and stress can definitely be affected by the holidays. The following can cause disruptions in your sleep schedules and increase stress levels – holiday financial stress, busier work/social schedules, children’s school events, end of year work deadlines, etc. Try to find ways to stay relaxed through the holidays.  Massages are a great way to relax, call CHHRC to book yours today! 

Try to Limit Alcohol
This is the time of year when people tend to drink way more than they usually do which in turn adds to the holiday weight gain.  Try to avoid heavy beers and cocktails with a lot of sugar.  Light beer and clear colored liquor are much safer choices.  Heavier beers and cocktails can have hundreds of calories per drink.  It adds up quickly when you have many more events to attend during the holidays. Additionally, drinking too much can also affect your sleep and can leave you feeling exhausted the next day.

Ingredients Swap
Many high fat/calorie foods have much healthier alternatives. Cooking with olive oil, low fat milk, whole wheat flour and whole grain bread are just a few examples of how you can make healthier ingredient swaps.  Almost any recipe can be cleaned up by hundreds of calories. All you have to do is head to the internet to find them! 

Most importantly, be conscious of what you are eating and drinking as much as possible.  Celebrate, but stay committed to moderation and balance.   The holiday season is six weeks long, if you maintain a healthy schedule during that time every year, you could easily maintain your weight for life.  How easy is that?!