Guilt Free Festivities
Whilst it might feel as if the indulgence of the festive period goes on for weeks, and the waistline effects last longer, there’s research to prove that’s largely an illusion.
Contrary to popular belief about people adding five pounds of weight over the festive period, the New England Journal of Medicine decided to investigate and found the average person puts on more or less a pound. So while you might feel bloated to the size of a whale, the reality is your weight gain is going to be negligible.
However it’s no wonder so many people start the new year wanting to lose weight. Wouldn’t it be great if you kept the pounds off through the festive season so you hit the new year literally running?
Like success in most things it comes down to two things: preparation and consistency. Now, in most normal festive periods, aside from the family gatherings at Christmas, there are loads of social events with free flowing booze and usually free flowing food. Who knows what this Christmas will look like in terms of those nights out, but forewarned is forearmed, so let’s look at some strategies.
First of all, if you are heading for a social event, try and eat a healthy meal high in protein before you go. Protein triggers the hormone leptin, which sends an “I’m full,” signal to the brain. What you don’t want to do is turn up already hungry and jump on the vol-au-vents as they appear in front of you. Prime your stomach with a protein high meal, and you’re less likely to snack.
Remember that alcohol makes you crave salty and sugary carbohydrates, and compounding the effect of these on your body is the fact that your body will prioritise the metabolism of alcohol over food, in order to clear it from the body. What this means is that the late night kebab is much more likely to go straight to body fat as it’s down the queue for processing.
When it comes to drinks, obviously, alcohol is not great for your health goals, but hey, it’s the festive season. Aim for beverages lower in sugar: dry white wines, dry sparkling wines, clear spirits with diet tonic or soda water with a squeeze of lime all have less calories and less sugar than beers and cocktails.
When you’re not out and about, ensure your diet is as healthy as possible to minimise the impact of that overindulgence. If you know you’re going to have a big meal, then go lighter on your meals a day either side so the total calories even out over the three days.
Finally, don’t neglect your exercise. It’s really easy to let it slide. Plan your evenings out, and then work in your workouts around them. There’s no point planning a record breaking treadmill attempt the day after the office party. On days where you’re not out the evening before, take it up a notch and aim to train at least twice a week. Even if workouts aren’t your thing, your likely to be a lot more sedentary than in everyday life, so plan in some movement. This could be long walks, a few runs, a gym session, even a short high intensity training session of 15 to 20 minutes a few times over the holidays will make a difference, and make you feel great.
It might sound obvious, but if you end up sitting around drinking and eating, you could well add more than that average pound. Being more mindful about what you consume and moving your body might mean you even end up lighter - wouldn’t that be a great gift?
A final word, remember to enjoy yourself! It’s once a year after all.