I have a love / hate relationship with the festive season. Most of us attend tons of festive events and they tend to center around fattening food and alcohol overindulgence. Add a dash of seasonal stress and zero time to cook or hit the gym and you have the perfect recipe for holiday weight gain.
Not this year my friends! Here are 6 tips to help you survive the hectic festive season:
1. Sip Smartly
With alcohol, the goal should be to keep both your calories and your buzz under control.
A single shot of vodka or gin mixed with soda water and a squeeze of lime will only set you back about 100 calories. If you like to make several trips to the bar (no judgments!), try asking the bartender to only fill your glass halfway each time to keep your total intake down (as well as keep the drink cool). Champagne is also a great option, not only is it lower in calories – around 80 per glass – but it’s also more likely to be sipped than guzzled.
2. Work the Room
If you’re planted next to the food table, you’ll shovel chips and dip into your mouth all night long. So stay far, far away. You won’t eat mindlessly if you have to cross the room to get to the food. To avoid eating 2,000 calories worth of deep fried canapes limit yourself to a few alternatives that you love. Been waiting all year for bacon-wrapped scallops? Go for it, but pass on the spring rolls and party pies.
3. Baking
If you’re a baker, you know there are many pitfalls when it comes to Christmas baking. Baked goods aren’t known for their healthy qualities and then there are the temptations while you’re baking (cookie dough!). But don’t let that derail you.
4. The Big Meal, I Mean Day
Don’t fear the big, sit-down Christmas feast, there are tactics to make it through without feeling like your New Year’s resolutions need to start on Boxing Day. Consider downsize your plates. Extensive diet research shows that people eat what’s put on their plates even if it’s more than they need to satisfy their hunger. If you have huge dinner plates, buy smaller plates for your home. You could also downsize your glasses so you don’t consume too many liquid calories. It’s more difficult to exercise portion control when you’re pouring into a wine glass the size of a vase.
5. Make Conscious Indulgences
If you’re a dessert person and you know you won’t be able to pass up that piece of pavlova, don’t deprive yourself. Just pass on the roll with butter at dinner and have a small piece of cheesecake. You’ll enjoy it guilt-free and not feel like you’re missing out.
6. Get Back on Track the next day
If you have an evening (or an entire day) of guilty pleasures, enjoy it, then get back to your more healthy routine the next day. One blow out is better than ten!
Enjoy!
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