A 7 Step Strategy to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain
December 20, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Here is a 7 step strategy that you should employ to prevent overdoing it at the dinner table this holiday season. Use the following tips to allow yourself to stay social and to be able to indulge in moderation without splitting your pants before the New Year:
1.) Start the day well hydrated
Water competes with food for space in your stomach and can help decrease your appetite. Avoid eating more as a result of being dehydrated. Start your day with at least 16 ounces of water and continue hydrating throughout the day. A great strategy to reduce the amount you eat at any holiday event is to have a glass or two of water with every plate of food.
2.) Make sure not to skip any meals
Utilize the strategy of eating meals high in lean protein and vegetables every 2-3 hours starting with breakfast. Not skipping meals will prevent the overwhelming urge to eat huge portions at your gathering. Avoid meals that are high in both fat and processed carbohydrates as they will create a hormonal environment that will induce more cravings and store the excess as more fat.
3.) Perform at least a half hour of moderate to intense exercise
Moderate to intense exercise primes your body to utilize nutrition in positive ways, by increasing insulin sensitivity and creating the need to replenish nutrients throughout your body. Making sure to perform this activity prior to your event will assure that your body will utilize the upcoming meals to replenish itself rather than store fat.
4.) Follow your exercise with a protein shake before you get ready
Having some liquid nutrition post workout is a great way to keep the metabolic furnace burning and assure that you body does not start eating away your precious muscle before the upcoming meals. Drink this immediately after your workout and get ready for your holiday event.
5.) Prioritize lean proteins and vegetables first
Now arriving at your event It is important to have a food strategy to follow. It is okay to indulge in a sweeter or more rich dish as long as your plate has its share of lean protein sources and vegetables. Make sure to eat these first THEN you can dive into that treat. This should keep you from over indulging in all the high calorie foods around.
6.) Wait at least an hour or two before second servings
I know this may be asking a lot but keeping with the strategy of spreading your meals throughout the day will normalize your blood sugar faster to prevent fat gain. Try to stay away from the sweets on later meals.
7.) Avoid empty liquid calories and alcohol
Staying away from empty liquid calories is always a good strategy. Drinking the sodas and alcoholic beverages that are often available at these events will surely spoil you fat loss efforts.
These small changes can literally save you hundreds, even thousands of calories, and more importantly will keep your body from creating extra fat-storage and set you back from achieving your health and fitness goals
