5 Tips on How NOT to Gain Weight This Holiday Season!

Through all of the many holiday seasons that I experienced during the years I spent struggling with my weight, there was always something that I could count on. Gaining between 20-30 pounds by the time New Years Eve rolled around!

I got just as sick and tired of gaining weight throughout the holidays as I am imagining you are. So when I figured out how to not let that happen and how to continue to enjoy the holidays I felt it was something that I should share.

Holidays don’t need to be a time of weight gain and they don’t need to be a time of not enjoying the cheer that goes with it in the form of eating and drinking. You just have to set up some rules or tips…so you can negotiate your way through it without any damage!

Here are some tips for the holidays so you can still lose weight and enjoy holiday food  in moderation:

1. Plan for which meals you will go off diet to enjoy some of the holiday fair.  Limit the number to 10% of your week’s meals.  If you eat 5 small meals a day, then your weeks total is 35, plan to enjoy between 3-4 meals without guilt throughout the week!   If you eat 3 times a day then 2-3 meals for the week.  This is your master plan.
2. Prepare and snack on veggies and a large glass of water ½ hour before every meal where there will be holiday food in your master plan.  By going into those situations already with a semi-full stomach you will be able to control  how much of the goodies you eat!
3. Increase your activity and exercise on the days you are going to go off diet in the master plan.  By burning more calories, it will give you a little more wiggle room to eat holiday treats in moderation.  It will also free you of any guilt!
4. Don’t write off the entire day because of one meal or act of indiscretion.  It is common for people who are trying to lose weight to want to write off the entire day when they have eaten something that is not on their diet.   “I already blew my diet when I ate (X)  at the office, I might as well enjoy the rest of the day, and start again on my diet tomorrow.”   If you act impulsively and eat something outside of your master plan, immediately get back on track, do not give up on the day…every meal counts!
5. The holidays are filled with more temptations, more stress and more opportunities for emotional eating!  You must have in place; simple strategies and reminders to keep you motivated and focused on the big picture…you achieving your weight loss goals!

If you’re interested in putting simple strategies and reminders in place so that you don’t go overboard this Holiday season – click here for instant access to a great tool that many people are using for just that.