How to avoid holiday weight gain

How to Avoid Holiday Weight GainChances are that you’re going to put on some weight during the holidays. Withtemptations stretching from Thanksgiving to New Years, and possibly beyond,how can you avoid holiday weight gain? Just as important, how can you avoidholiday weight gain and still indulge in some of your favorite foods during thistime and not feel like a diet outcast.Average Holiday Weight GainSome studies have suggested that holiday weight gain averages 5-10lbs. Morerecent studies have shown that average holiday weight gain is only 1lb. However,this is simply the average amount gained. Overweight people tend to gain morethan others. Additionally, this holiday weight gain is generally not lost over time.In other words, the gains you experience during the holidays may remain with youfor the rest of your life…just one more reason why many people start toaccumulate excess fat after they hit 30.

Preventative ActionsThe best way to enjoy the holidays while avoiding excess weight gain is to workhard leading up to them. If you’ve been dieting and exercising and cutting a lot ofweight, then you can afford to give a little back at the holidays as long as youremain committed to hard work afterwards. However, this is not an excuse tosacrifice all your prior hard work. You’ll still want to limit your indulgences andmake sure you don’t add too much weight, if any.Resist TemptationThe biggest challenge of the holidays is those huge, home cooked meals that justtempt you to eat as much as possible. Portion control is the most critical aspect ofavoiding holiday weight gain so here are a few strategies in dealing with the bigmeal: 1. Don’t wait to eat: if you’re ravenous before a meal, you’re more likely to overeat. Try to indulge in healthy or high fiber snacks like fruit beforehand so that you already feel a little full. 2. Wait to eat: so after advising you not to go to a meal on an empty stomach, I’d like to offer the alternative of fasting before the big meal. The catch is that you need to have the discipline to control your urges (to some extent)

during the big meal. I use Eat Stop Eat year round to help lose fat and control food urges. 3. Slow down: I’m as guilty of this as anyone, but there’s a tendency to stuff as much food down your throat as possible when it all tastes so good. Take time to savor it though and you’ll find that you fill up quicker. 4. Use small plates: it’s a stupid psychological trick, but you’ll feel like you’re eating more if you have a full plate in front of you. The best way to fill up a plate is not to add more food, but to shrink the plate size. 5. Drink: water, not alcohol. Water has been proven to fill you up leading to less caloric intake during a meal. Have a glass 30-60 minutes prior to eating. 6. Don’t give up: just because you’re eating a big meal, doesn’t mean you should just completely give up and eat whatever is in sight. Listen to your stomach and only eat until you are full. Maybe even try to pass on extras like gravy.Damage ControlHuge meals aside, one day generally doesn’t kill a diet. It’s the leftovers,abundance of snacks and sweets, alcohol, and general laziness during the holidaysthat contribute to the most holiday weight gain. If you just ate large meals on

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, you probably wouldn’t gain any weight,assuming you followed a regular diet and exercise program the rest of the time.This is the best way to limit damage from the holidays.However, you can perform a little damage control after the big meal, if you’re soinclined. Here are a few recommendations: 1. Skip a meal: my family has our big meals in the late afternoon. No matter how much I eat, I’m always tempted to break out leftovers for dinner only a few hours later. Why does this happen? Because my brain is programmed to eat at particular times so when 6PM rolls around, it tells my stomach that it’s time to eat. Use some willpower and let your stomach tell your brain that it got enough calories to skip 1, or even 2 meals. 2. Exercise intensely: don’t jump on the treadmill right after the meal is finished, but try to get an intense workout in the next day. A HIIT workout is always effective, but this is one of the few times that I might recommend marathon cardio where you try to keep a pretty intense pace for a long time. This is not steady state cardio where you can talk to other people. This is a pace at which you’re working very hard but not exhausting yourself too quickly. Generally, marathon cardio can lead to muscle loss, but with

significantly elevated glycogen levels from the big meal, it serves as a good way to reduce those levels and get back to fat burning mode. 3. Business as usual: you don’t necessarily need to do anything special after the big meal. Just ensure you get right back to your regular workout routine and diet plan. Don’t use the big meal or holidays as an excuse to give up your regular routine until after the New Year.Avoid Holiday Weight GainIt’s certainly the biggest challenge you’ll face before the New Year, but you canavoid holiday weight gain if you plan in advance and work hard. Do what’s bestfor your lifestyle, but with a proper diet and exercise routine, there’s no reason youcan’t enjoy the festivities while avoiding holiday weight gain. Have a HappyHoliday Season!About MeI provide no-nonsense “best of the best” diet and exercise tips to lose fat and buildlean, defined muscle without spending hours in the gym. These are Not YourAverage Fitness Tips.

Read more fitness tips about the best workout routines and download a FREE copyof my Fitness in a Flash report to help get a lean, athletic look in no time.

How to avoid holiday weight gain

by Dave Martens

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