Huge Christmas meals
Huge Christmas meals, sweet pastries, more alcohol, coziness and sitting still create the conditions for weight gain during Christmas.
If you are in the middle of a lifestyle change and are working to lose a few kilos, it may be almost impossible to lose weight in December, but Christmas doesn't have to be ruined either. Changing your lifestyle means changing your habits, to a certain extent also during Christmas.
It can be tiring if weight and calories put a damper on your Christmas celebrations. But a few things can make it easier.
There are many holiday readings, sweets, Christmas marzipan and Christmas cakes, and then it is extra important to avoid letting Christmas sweets replace healthy and nutritious meals such as breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's not dangerous or wrong to treat yourself to a little chocolate, candy, gingerbread or marzipan, and we should treat ourselves a little extra during the Christmas season, but if you eat too much of this, it can leave you with less room for food that has more nutrition that your body needs and that gives you energy and a slightly more stable blood sugar level.
It's better to aim for a stable weight and focus on eating habits that bring joy and well-being, with a clear conscience. And it can be tiring if weight and calories put a damper on your Christmas celebrations.
But there are a few rules you can give yourself that can make it easier.
- Use small bowls for sweets
There can be a lot of sweets at Christmas, but avoid letting Christmas sweets replace healthy and nutritious meals such as breakfast, lunch and dinner.
It is not dangerous or wrong to treat yourself to a little chocolate, candy, gingerbread or marzipan, but if you eat too much of this, you can have less space for food that has more nutrition that your body needs and that gives you energy and a slightly more stable blood sugar.
Therefore, use small bowls when you put out both cake, chips and snacks, and leave the large ones in the cupboard.
This can make you a little more aware of how much you eat as you will see that the bowl is emptying, in addition to making it a little more difficult to nibble on two or three pieces at a time.
- Have lots of fruit available
If you have healthy food readily available, it is easier to choose this.
It is not uncommon to experience more sweet cravings during hectic periods. You can also be tempted if you constantly see candy, biscuits and sweets in the middle of the table.
Test whether your sweet craving can be curbed with a couple of clementines, persimmons, a handful of grapes or an apple cut into pieces. This will give you a small taste of "the sweet" while at the same time getting the satisfaction that comes from actually eating something.
If you have to get up, go to the kitchen and open the door of the refrigerator to get to the fruit, the chance is much greater that you will choose a piece of chocolate instead. So let the fruit be on display, and the Christmas sweets that are wrapped away
- Remember the vegetables for dinner
It can be very tempting to fill your entire plate with Christmas sausages and medister cakes, but remember that the greens also taste pretty good!
It can even highlight the other flavors, and not least make you feel a little better after the meal is over.
Serve vegetables that you actually like, and try to fill half the plate with these. Overcooked vegetables are not as exciting, so try to let the side dishes shine too, by adding spices or preparing them in a new way.
- Remember to stay active during the holiday season.
Yes, it's nice to relax when the holidays are finally here, but it's also worth remembering that your body uses very little energy lying on the couch.
Getting outside for an hour or two every day will go a long way. For most of us, we can't "burn off" all the extra calories from Christmas food by moving more, but physical activity can make it easier to stay motivated and make better food choices.
Getting out in the fresh air and moving your body does a lot of good for your health. It can also give you energy and more energy, which is necessary to make good choices.
Going for a walk with others can be social and bring great joy. A walk alone can also be a welcome break if Christmas is otherwise a hectic time.
- Stick to your regular mealtime routine as much as possible and limit snacking.
If you tend to indulge in a lot of snacks and holiday treats between meals, you may want to try to stick to regular mealtimes during the holiday season. Ideally, you should be sitting at the kitchen table without too many interruptions and distractions, rather than on the go or in front of the TV.
If you have regular mealtimes, you will also want to have periods between Christmas meals without eating.
- Eat the calories - don't drink them
Christmas soda, Christmas coffee, cocoa with cream, mulled wine and a higher intake of alcohol can add up to a lot of extra calories. This doesn't mean you should give up everything and just drink water, but rather decide what beverages you want to enjoy during Christmas, and how much.
Can you replace sugary soda with light soda? Beer with light beer or non-alcoholic beer? Christmas latte with coffee with milk? A few fewer glasses of juice and eat fruit instead?
Small steps can make a big difference over time.
Last but not least, remember that the biggest challenge is not what you eat at Christmas, but what you eat in the eleven and a half months before and after Christmas, so enjoy Christmas, just make sure ... to return to a "normal" lifestyle after Christmas.
Have a healthy and good Christmas and a healthy amazing good New Year
Thanks for reading
