4 Tips To Help You Keep The Weight Off This Holiday Season

Autumn and winter are big seasons for holidays. It starts with Halloween and doesn’t seem to end until Easter. In addition to the holidays you might have birthdays and anniversaries to celebrate. All of the rich foods can really add up. Then spring arrives and it’s time to try to get back into shape. Instead of repeating this cycle year after year, create new habits and stay fit and healthy all year long.

1. Become a water drinker
As annoying as it may seem, taking a bottle of water with you wherever you go will be great for your waistline. Carrying water is much better for your weight and your health than munching on snacks or drinking soda or coffee. It’s easy to give in to temptation when you’re walking through the mall doing your holiday shopping. The smell of the goodies surely does not help. If you sip water throughout the day, you will not feel as hungry and easily give in to temptation. If you drink a glass of water before each meal, you will consume less calories. Water seems so simple a solution, but it really works.

2. Make exercise a priority
Everyone is busy, but that’s not an excuse to avoid being active. It might be harder to fit in during the holiday months, but you’ll be glad you did when you’re not trying to lose 15 pounds weeks before summer arrives. Take the stairs instead of the elevator every chance you get. Don’t worry if you’re carrying bags. The extra weight you carry up the stairs will add to your workout. You can fit lifting weights, sit-ups, and push-ups into commercial breaks when you’re watching TV. You might not be able to squeeze in hour long sessions at the gym 3 times a week, but you can keep fit by doing small bits of exercise whenever you can.

3. Fill up on fruits and veggies
You’ll find a fruit or veggie tray at most holiday parties. Before you eat anything else, fill up on fruits and veggies. You don’t have to avoid the delicious holiday treats altogether, but eating fruits and veggies first will help you to eat less of the high-calorie items. If you feel hungry again as the evening goes on, head for the veggie tray again and fill up.

4. Portion, portion, portion
You are going to be faced with many treats and temptations during the holiday season. You want to enjoy them all, but you don’t want to pack on the pounds. You need to have a plan for enjoying the goodies without going overboard. Decide that you will only enjoy a small amount of each treat. If you already know you don’t like something, pass on it. Don’t feel obligated to eat everything in multiples. Don’t feel the pressure to eat a lot. If you’re having a meal with someone who keeps telling you to eat more, don’t fill your plate each time. You know you’ll be getting more anyway, so you don’t need to fill your plate with piles of food. Eating very slowly will also make a huge difference in the amount of food you eat. The slower you eat the less time you’ll have to eat a lot.

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