Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

The holiday season is upon us, and you know what that means: lots of opportunities for lots of eating, and perhaps also less exercise than normal. And you know what that means: holiday weight gain.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little planning you can make it to the New Year without having to loosen your belt. Here are some tips that will help you:

Plan Your Splurges

Choose a handful of special occasions between Thanksgiving and the New Year when you will eat whatever you want, and then stick to the plan. Eat your normal, healthy diet outside of those occasions. Stuffing yourself on Christmas morning won’t necessarily hurt you. Snacking on Christmas cookies for 12 days leading up to Christmas will.

Spoil Your Appetite

Before you head out the door to a holiday party or other such event, have a healthy snack such as Gerry’s Favorite Snack – a scoop of EnergyFirst Protein with a scoop of Greenergy in water (that snack only has 115 calories) or a piece of fruit or a salad to take the edge off your appetite and leave less room for the fattening foods you’re likely to eat later.

Limit the Alcohol

Not only do alcohol calories really add up when you drink at holiday–related occasions, but alcohol also lowers your eating inhibitions, so you’re more likely to overeat. To prevent this from happening, limit yourself to one or two drinks at holiday events, and have a glass of water after each drink to pace yourself and fill your belly.

Set an Activity Goal

One way to ensure that you stay active through the holidays and burn off those extra calories is to set some sort of activity goal. For example, sign up for a Thanksgiving 5K Fun Run or Yuletide 5K and spend the weeks leading up to it training for it.

The average American gains an estimated 5 to 10 pounds per year during the holiday season! Holiday weight gain alone accounts for nearly all of the upward weight creep that most people exercise in their adulthood. Don’t let that happen to you! Plan ahead, stay disciplined and you’ll be fine.