Christmas, or the "silly season" as it is affectionately called, is a particularly perilous time for those of us who want to lose weight. In this article we provide our top ten weight loss tips for the holiday season so that many of us can maintain our weight loss momentum, maintain our weight in an acceptable zone for the holiday period, or at least minimize the 'weight gain damage' so that come January 1, we'll have a few less kilos of weight loss attached to our New Year's resolution.
Tip 1. Keeping our alcohol consumption in check.
Alcohol is high in kilojoules/calories. In fact 1g of alcohol contains around 28 kilojoules or 7 calories. In addition, all of these calories are known as "empty" calories because they provide no real nutritional value to our body. One of the reasons many of us put on weight during the Christmas season is because our alcohol consumption 'goes through the roof' during this time.
Drinking at office parties, get-togethers with friends, Christmas Eve, Christmas dinner and of course the big one, New Years Eve are all part of the festive season and at most, if not at all of these occasions, alcohol consumption is part of the social mix.
But we don't have to be a party-pooper if we're watching our weight. We just need a strategy to cope with the situations we know we'll find ourselves in.
For example we can try:
Tip 1. Keeping our alcohol consumption in check.
Alcohol is high in kilojoules/calories. In fact 1g of alcohol contains around 28 kilojoules or 7 calories. In addition, all of these calories are known as "empty" calories because they provide no real nutritional value to our body. One of the reasons many of us put on weight during the Christmas season is because our alcohol consumption 'goes through the roof' during this time.
Drinking at office parties, get-togethers with friends, Christmas Eve, Christmas dinner and of course the big one, New Years Eve are all part of the festive season and at most, if not at all of these occasions, alcohol consumption is part of the social mix.
But we don't have to be a party-pooper if we're watching our weight. We just need a strategy to cope with the situations we know we'll find ourselves in.
For example we can try:
-Alternating alcoholic drinks with low calorie non-alcoholic drinks or water.
-Using or asking for low calorie/diet mixers with our spirits.
-Making wine Spritzers using mineral or soda water and our favourite wine.
-Substitute pre-prepared "alcoholic soft-drinks" with a shot of our favourite spirit and a low calorie mixer.
-Making allowances for alcohol in our daily diets (kilojoule/calorie quota) - without skipping meals to compensate, which is not a good idea.
-Remembering that moderation is the key.
Tip 2. Ask for sporty presents for Christmas.
If our partner, family and friends don't know what to buy us for Christmas, perhaps we should suggest that we would like something sporty or that involves physical activity of some kind.
For example, why not hint that we would love to receive:
-A new pair of walking or jogging shoes.
-Some new workout wear, like t-shirts, shorts, or a new tracksuit.
-A new bicycle or tennis racquet.
-Some exercise videos or a Swiss Ball.
-A six month gym membership or membership to the local golf club.
-A dozen sessions with a personal trainer.
-Some rollerblades.
-A set of dumbells for working out at home.
Tip 3. Allowing ourselves some indulgence days.
-Some new workout wear, like t-shirts, shorts, or a new tracksuit.
-A new bicycle or tennis racquet.
-Some exercise videos or a Swiss Ball.
-A six month gym membership or membership to the local golf club.
-A dozen sessions with a personal trainer.
-Some rollerblades.
-A set of dumbells for working out at home.
Tip 3. Allowing ourselves some indulgence days.
Christmas and holidays are meant to be enjoyed; a happy time to spend with close friends and family.Part of that enjoyment comes from eating and drinking our favourite foods and drinks and it would be a real shame to deny ourselves some of these simple pleasures.Having said that, balance is the key to really enjoying the festive season and this includes balancing out our meals each day and balancing our 'good' and 'bad' days each week.Having one indulgent day per week is usually OK, even if we are trying to lose weight.
So if we think that the whole of December is the most dangerous time for us, we can allocate 4 days within that month where we can let our 'hair down' a little and enjoy the good stuff.If we were to allocate, for example, Christmas day and New Years Eve as two of those days, we still have two others to allocate to enjoying an office party or get-together with friends and we'll still be right on track.
So if we think that the whole of December is the most dangerous time for us, we can allocate 4 days within that month where we can let our 'hair down' a little and enjoy the good stuff.If we were to allocate, for example, Christmas day and New Years Eve as two of those days, we still have two others to allocate to enjoying an office party or get-together with friends and we'll still be right on track.
Tip 4. Don't let our exercise routine slip.
The end of year holiday season may be a time of catching up with old friends and family mixed with a little overindulgence, but it shouldn't be a time when we have to give up completely on our regular exercise routine.
Sure, we'll all be very busy during December shopping for presents, cards and festive foods, making plans for BBQ's, Christmas lunch and dinner and New Years Eve, and catching up with people during the week and on weekends, but these things needn't interfere with our healthy habits, like exercising.
If we exercise in the mornings, there aren't any good excuses not to continue to do so before the rigours of these hectic days begin (other than a hangover and lack of sleep from partying the night before!).
If we like exercising throughout the day or in the evenings, and there are now some festive activities competing for the same timeslot, perhaps we can make allowances for this by changing when we exercise and perhaps how we exercise - like exercising in the mornings and increasing the intensity so we can burn the same amount of energy during a shorter workout - just until all the festivities are over.
The end of year holiday season may be a time of catching up with old friends and family mixed with a little overindulgence, but it shouldn't be a time when we have to give up completely on our regular exercise routine.
Sure, we'll all be very busy during December shopping for presents, cards and festive foods, making plans for BBQ's, Christmas lunch and dinner and New Years Eve, and catching up with people during the week and on weekends, but these things needn't interfere with our healthy habits, like exercising.
If we exercise in the mornings, there aren't any good excuses not to continue to do so before the rigours of these hectic days begin (other than a hangover and lack of sleep from partying the night before!).
If we like exercising throughout the day or in the evenings, and there are now some festive activities competing for the same timeslot, perhaps we can make allowances for this by changing when we exercise and perhaps how we exercise - like exercising in the mornings and increasing the intensity so we can burn the same amount of energy during a shorter workout - just until all the festivities are over.
