10 Tips For Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

Weight gain during the holidays is something we would all like to have better control of. We want to enjoy ourselves with friends and family, but what are the ways we can do that while minimizing the ill-effect it may have on our health and fitness goals? Here are ten practical tips you can use this holiday season to ensure you enjoy yourself AND you take better care of yourself. Enjoy and share with your friends and family!

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10 Tips For Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain:

Stay Active

Turn off the TV! Holiday movies and football can wait. Grab your shoes and encourage your family to get outside and walk, hike, run or ride bikes. The memories you make by spending this time sharing stories will last a lifetime and you’ll be boosting your metabolism while having fun. 

Choose Wisely

The Holidays are a time to spoil yourself and loved ones with scrumptious foods and drinks. No one is suggesting you refrain from all the goodies but you can choose wisely. If grazing on snacks throughout the day is your favorite way to spoil yourself go for it, but chill out when meal time comes around. Or, be conservative on the snacking if you like to belly up to the big meal. Snacking or the big meal but please not both! 

Portion Sizes Matter

Reduce portion sizes by using a smaller plate. The illusion of having a full plate satisfies our eyes even though the plate is smaller. After finishing your food sit and relax. Enjoy conversation with the table. Wait ten minutes before deciding if you really need that trip to the kitchen for seconds. 

Practice Mindful Eating

Slow down at meal times. You may be shocked by how fast you are woofing your food down. On average, most Americans eat dinner in less than 10 minutes and they are usually distracted by TV or their phone. Put the electronics away! Eat, chew slowly and breathe. Put your fork down between bites and chew your food thoroughly. No need to reload your fork until the food in your mouth has been swallowed. Think about the food you’re eating. How does is tasty? What purpose is it serving your body? Now we’ve got you thinking! Food is fuel intended to serve your body’s energy demands. Food is not entertainment. 

Rest and Sleep

The Holidays are exhausting, right? Take extra care of your body and mind by sleeping 7-8 hours nightly and napping when needed. Your immune system function greatly depends on sleep to fight off pathogens. Your brain needs to rest too! 

Stress Control

Ever get stressed during the Holidays? We dare you to say no! Even if everything is going smoothly, all the planning and to-do lists bring on stress which increases cortisol levels. The long-term activation of the stress-response system and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones that follows can disrupt almost all your body's processes. This puts you at increased risk of many health problems, including: anxiety, depression, digestive problems, headaches, heart disease, sleep problems, weight gain, memory and concentration impairment. That's why it's so important to learn healthy ways to cope with your life stressors. How? Exercise, yoga, meditation and breathing practices all help! 

Power of Protein

Balance meals with protein to stay satiated longer and slow insulin response. Protein is a building block of muscle fibers too. Fat burning abilities will benefit from a metabolic boost from adding lean muscle and the thermic effect of digesting calories from protein.   

Focus on Fiber

Fiber has long been known to promote good digestive health and regularity, but those are only two of the many benefits fiber offers. In addition to improving digestive health and lowering cholesterol levels, a high-fiber diet can help you reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and keep your weight in check. Beans, veggies and fruits like berries and loaded with fiber. 

Accountability

All battles are not won alone. You will have a higher rate of success with accountability. That’s where a nutrition coach or good friend can help you stay on track. The feeling of support will make the good days great and tough days more manageable by sharing your emotions with someone. Simple check-ins to discuss what is going well and what seems like a constant struggle can provide the extra support you need to stay focused on your successes. 

Be The Boss

At the end of the day you are the boss! It’s up to you to remind yourself of your own personal Why or purpose. Keeping an eye on the prize at all times makes it easier to choose outcome based decisions. There will be set backs! When they occur choose to move forward rather than living with guilt. The more good days stacked on top of the bad will always result in a path down the healthier road ahead. 

At Peak State Fit we are here to help! Coach Heather Casey is a Precision Nutrition Certified Nutritionist and NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and NOW Foods Ambassador. We have programs starting at $99 a month to teach you how to change the behaviors and habits driving food and exercise choices. Look for more information on PeakStateFit.com or email Heather@PeakStateFit.com