You Can Enjoy the Holidays and Still Lose Weight!
Is it that time of year already?
2020 has been an odd year, to be sure, but one thing it has in common with all of its predecessors is the challenge of sticking to your weight loss goals during the Holidays!
Here we are, literally in the “thick of it” with Holiday Parties, cakes, cookies, and overindulgences aplenty!
But, fear not, there are ways you can enjoy yourself and still fight the “Battle of the Bulge” this Holiday Season.
Start every day with a good breakfast
Eat a nutritious breakfast within the first hour of getting up. A healthy breakfast should include folate, iron, fiber, and vitamins. Low-fat, high-vitamin, and mineral-rich dry cereals such as Total, or Special K, are also good starts, as are foods such as low–fat yogurt, and whole-grain, low-fat waffles. Also, be sure to include fruit such as berries for phytochemicals and antioxidants. Orange juice is a great source of folic acid.
Water
You have heard this before, but now, especially to avoid the holiday temptations, drink at least 8-10 glasses of water daily. It will not only help you to feel fuller throughout the day, but it will also help you to cleanse and detoxify and avoid the complications of chronic dehydration – which could put a crimp on your holiday style.
Keep a food journal
It’s easy to lose sight of weight loss goals and your diet during the holidays. If you keep a food journal, you will be much more conscious of your eating patterns and when you have had enough.
Stay active
Things get so stressful and busy around the holiday that it gets harder to find time for exercise — but now is no time to slow down. If you do not have time for your usual workout at the gym, get up 15 minutes earlier every day to take a jog, bike ride, or take a brisk walk. Do the same after dinner. When shopping, don’t stress yourself out trying to find a parking spot close to the stores; park far away. It’s easier to find a spot, and you can use the walk!
Don’t go it alone
Find a weight loss buddy. The extra support during more stressful Holiday times and temptations can help keep you on track.
What to Do at a Holiday Party
Avoid running on empty
One of the best ways to keep from over-indulging at holiday parties or dinners is NOT to arrive feeling hungry. Have a light, healthy snack before you go.
Mingle more
Don’t just hover around the food table. Distract yourself with other things at the party — talk, dance — you can be “merry” by doing other things besides eating and drinking!
Cut down on the holiday cheer
Alcohol is kind of a double “no-no.” Consuming alcohol is just extra calories with little or no nutrition, and when you are a bit tipsy, it’s that much harder to avoid the chips and dips – so imbibing a bit less is a good strategy. If you must drink, avoid creamy “Egg-Nog” type drinks or very sweet cocktails – stick with one glass of red or white wine.
Pass on the passed hors d’oeuvres
I admit I am a sucker for those “pigs in blankets,” but each of those little passed canapés at a party can add up to a lot of calories. If you can’t resist them entirely, and who can, a right way is to set a limit – and each time you take one, put the toothpick in your pocket to let you know how many you have had.
Take a walk
Make an after-dinner walk part of your holiday tradition. It not only helps to “walk-off” the calories, but it also gets you out of the house and away from the food and drinks for a while!
What You Need to Know About Medical Weight Loss
While the above tips are some good advice for anyone trying to lose weight and not overindulge during Holiday Season, for those who are severely obese and continue to struggle with their weight, there really is only one medical solution for weight loss.
Medical weight loss is an approach to managing obesity that focuses on doctor-supervised programs involving FDA approved medications, diet, exercise, supplementation, behavior modification, and lifestyle changes to help you achieve and maintain your ideal weight.
At Doctors Best Wellness Center, our medical weight loss plans have helped patients who have failed to achieve significant and lasting weight loss after trying almost every other diet doctor or diet plan in the South Florida area!
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