How To Survive The Holidays Without gaining Weight

‘Tis the season to be jolly, pha-la-la-la-la-la-la! Boney M music will be blasting from many  shopping centres’ loudspeaking system, Rudo the Red Nosed Reindeer will be swooping through the skies once more… and the dreaded Christmas weight gain will be beckoning.

But it does not have to if you have a plan in place. If you have a fat loss maintenance plan you can work at maintaining your progress and not lose ground to the festive season bulge.

How would such a plan look?

Change your goal from fat burning to maintaining the changes you have been able to make.

Do not fall back into your old habits.  Remember they are broken. To echo Dory from Finding Nemo’s motto, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” In the previous blog posts we talked about keeping it simple, and empowering yourself with knowledge. You do not have to deprive yourself of enjoyment but you also do not have to succumb to unhealthy treats. These days with the rise of paleo, ketogenic and banting lifestyles you will be able to indulge in delectable treats and still maintain the fat loss that you have achieved in recent times.

Here is my surefire way to maintain what you have worked so hard to achieve:

• Don’t skip your workouts.  If you have visitors for the holiday season, include them in your activities. Having a training partner may just provide you with a partner in arms when it comes to sticking to your new habits. If you are at a holiday destination, scope out all the places that will contribute to you being and getting active.

• Eat breakfast.  People who eat breakfast consume fewer calories throughout the day than those who skip this important meal. 

• Monitor your hunger.  Eat before you go to parties, that way you will not have to consume so much of the calorie-laden snacks on offer. Water is a wonderful filler and protein combined with a good quality fat has very satiating qualities.

• Weigh yourself twice each week. Although bodies react differently to different seasons, the scales may help you to step in and do damage control the moment that it happens. You can take pre-emptive measures like adding water or cutting the calories a bit to balance out the indulgence of the previous day.

• Watch your portion size.  Be aware of the portion sizes and do not go back for seconds. Take your time to savour the flavours that the food bring, and do not eat only for the sake of having something in your mouth. Food should nourish, even if it is part of a feast.

• Deal quickly with leftovers. If you were the host and you have food left over from your celebration, be a good host and send your guests off with provisions for the next day. What is not in your kitchen, can not be eaten.

• Check in with your future self.  You know who you would like to be. You know how you would like to feel and look on New Years eve. Go to the future and speak back to the past you, thank yourself for the effort that you have put in to maintaining the progress you have made. Give recognition for the achievements in your journey and celebrate the fact that you do not have to start your New Year with regrets. You might say something like this: 

“Thank you!  I feel great!  I’m no heavier than I was in November, I’ve stayed on track with my exercise, my energy is incredible and I’ve got the momentum to spend the rest of the summer getting in even better shape!”

• Be accountable.   Have an accountability partner who will have your back and reel you back in if it needs to.
You can survive the holidays with no added weight gain.  Remember these tips and keep a vision of what you want to feel like on January 1 in mind.  It’s going to be a great holiday season!

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