5 Strategies to Beat the Holiday Bulge

The holiday season is already in full swing – Christmas parties, holiday vacations, family gatherings, gift exchanges are already in the books. Of course, all these celebrations won’t be complete without sumptuous dishes and copious batches of desserts!

Amidst all these activities, it’s no wonder your skinny jeans will soon be feeling a little too tight for you because of the unwanted bulges brought about by these festivities. But, these woes should not keep you from being excited for such a joyful season if you know how to keep these miseries at bay.

Here’s how you can beat the holiday bulge during the Yuletide season!

1. Fill Up Before You Party

Attending a holiday party hungry is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Fill up with a balanced snack of protein and carbohydrates at least an hour before you party, so you will feel full for longer. Skipping a meal in order to save yourself from the feast later will only increase your cravings for food.

2. Bring Your Own Healthy Dish

Bring Your Own Healthy Dish

A potluck dinner is a great opportunity to bring your own healthy choice. This way, even when you’re not sure what everyone has to bring to the table, you can still be confident that you will at least have your dish as a retreat.

TIP: Instead of attending a party, why not host one instead? This will not only give you the liberty to prepare a healthy feast but will also keep your distance from unhealthy foods.

3. Reduce Your Servings

Since it’s the holidays, it’s ok to indulge a little over. However, it doesn’t give you the license to go overboard. Reduce your regular meals at least 20 percent smaller to leave you with enough room for some party foods later in the day.

Alternately, use a smaller plate and fill it only with what you intend to eat. Studies suggests that we tend to want fill our plates to the full – and even when the amount of food is identical, it appears to be smaller when it’s on a large plate.

4. Slow Down

Women Chatting

Instead of wolfing down on your food to avoid being engaged in a conversation, you should actually do the opposite. Otherwise, you risk consuming too many calories before you realize you’re already satisfied. This is because it takes approximately 20 minutes before your brain sends signals fullness.

TIP:  On your next party, do away with your anti-social side. Take your time eating your meal and engage with the other guests in between bites. You will actually enjoy your food more this way.

5. Stick to Your Fitness Routine

Finally, even when it feels like off-season for being fit, holidays are not an excuse to get lazy. The fact is, in between traveling, Christmas shopping and parties, you still need to continue with your workout schedule. It may be a hard thing to do over the holidays but, this will guarantee that it will keep you in shape come next year.

At this time of the year, staying on your weight loss program may not be possible, given those festive buffets and cocktails. But, even if you come out of the holidays with an extra weight, we always have a wide range of expert treatments that can trim your unwanted fats, helping you achieve the body you are happy with.

What are your fitness strategies to keep the holiday bulge at bay? Let us know in the comments section below.

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