Practicing Nutritional Balance Whilst Enjoying Christmas
Practicing nutritional balance whilst enjoying Christmas may seem like a farfetched idea. Weight gain has become expected over the festive season. The average person will consume approximately 7000 calories on Christmas Day alone, gaining 6lbs between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.
It will take 33% of us up to 4 months to lose this weight gain, with some only losing a fraction of the weight gained, leading to a yearly weight gain.
So how can you keep your food and alcohol intake within moderation and still enjoy the festive period?
Alcohol
- Alternate your alcoholic drinks with glasses of water
- Dilute white wine/champagne to make a spritzer
- Opt for soda water or slim line tonic water when choosing a mixer
Food
- Eat plenty of lean protein including turkey, chicken and fish. This will keep you fuller for longer and less likely to graze on unhealthy alternatives.
- At social gatherings, focus on the people around you rather than the food or drink on offer.
- Pick and choose when to enjoy your favourite foods. December can be a long month when it comes to social gatherings and food, so plan to keep everything in moderation throughout those 4 weeks.
- Keep on top of weighing yourself throughout December, perhaps hopping on the scales twice a week in order to keep things in check. You may notice a little weight creeping on, which is fine if this is planned for. But it will make you aware of any major weight gain before you have what will feel like a mountain to climb come January.
- If you are hosting, plan your food as if you are meal planning as you do throughout the year. Practice normal portion control, and simply make enough to feed those who are visiting. It can be all too tempting to go overboard on the food quantity, leading to unnecessary eating. We have a delicious selection of winter recipes for you to browse if you are planning a menu for a get together.
- When faced with a festive buffet, go in with a plan. Fill half of your plate with veggies/salad, a quarter of your plate with lean protein such as fish, turkey or chicken. Leave the remaining quarter of your plate for something special such as pigs in blankets or stuffing.
There is no need to feel as though you are punishing yourself with restricting your food intake. Planning to enjoy a little here and there instead of splurging at every opportunity will ensure you don’t feel a sense of dread when getting back to normality. This means you can carry on where you left off with perhaps only a lb or two extra to consider!
Remember, there is no need to feel as though December is a complete write off when it comes to maintaining balance.
There are 31 days in December.
If you eat 3 x per day, that’s 93 meals.
Total holiday meals:
- Christmas Eve/Day = 4 meals
- New Year’s Day = 1 meal
- Social gatherings/parties = 5 meals
Total holiday meals = 10 meals
Are you waiting until January 1st to start your healthy lifestyle because of 10 meals our of 93?
