Lose Weight Over the Holidays
The Holiday-Friendly Guide to Weight-Loss
Skip the annual holiday season weight gain by adopting a few simple lifestyle adjustments that will enable you to get healthy, lose weight, and still enjoy festivities.
The holiday season doesn't have to be synonymous with packing on extra pounds that you'll spend the rest of the next year – or perhaps even the rest of your life – trying to lose.
Studies indicate that reducing hunger and increasing activity levels are the best ways to ward off weight gain during the holiday season and all year long. During a season where the temptations of sweets, treats, alcohol, and generally unhealthy snacks are on every spread at every party, it can be difficult to stay on track with a healthy diet. However, with cold weather and a jam-packed schedule preventing many people from exercising as much as they normally would, it's more important than ever to incorporate sensible nutrition and fitness choices into your lifestyle.
Get Moving
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day, but you needn't hit the gym to fulfill this recommendation. Cardio machines and aerobics classes are definitely helpful in meeting daily activity requirements, but building fitness into your daily routine can be just as easy and even more fun. The key is staying active regularly, so schedule in exercise the same way you make time for meetings, classes, or your favorite television program.
Make Exercise a Social Affair
Schedule a few exercise dates each week; you'll be more likely to have fun and stay motivated if you exercise with a friend. Take the stairs or go for a brisk walk with a pal instead of sitting in a café munching on treats and high-calorie beverages. Get creative: go for a hike with a friend, or play squash or go dancing with your partner.
Shop and Walk Until You Drop
While you're burning a hole in your pocketbook you can also burn some additional calories; take an extra walk around the mall, even when you've finished your shopping.
Avoid Being Sedentary
Research indicates that physical activity after a large holiday meal may promote hormones that increase metabolism, so take a walk around the neighborhood to see holiday lights displays, or arrange frosty-weather activities such as ice skating or skiing.
Don't Show Up Hungry
Before stepping out to a festive dinner party, eat a bowl of oatmeal, brown rice or a slice of whole wheat toast. You won't arrive hungry and the whole grains are complex carbohydrates that take longer to digest, which will allow you to feel full longer so you'll be less likely to nosh on poor food choices due to feeling famished.
Drink Water
People often mistake thirst for hunger, so drink plenty of water – at least eight to ten glasses – each day to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water along with your holiday feast will help fill your stomach, which will make you less likely to overeat.
Aim for Eight Hours Sleep
In a study published in the December 7, 2004 issue of The Science Annals of Internal Medicine, it was reported that researchers at the University of Chicago found that sleep deprivation alters the levels of the hormones that regulate hunger, causing an increase in appetite and a preference for calorie-dense, high-carbohydrate foods. This association tangibly links sleep loss to the epidemic of obesity.
De-Stress
As difficult as it may be during the hectic holiday season, keep your stress levels to a minimum. Chronic stress can cause elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, which can – among other things – boost appetite and trigger fat production.
Make a habit of deepening your breath during stressful situations, discharging anxiety and destructive emotions such as anger, panic and fear with each exhalation.
