Eating Healthy for the Holidays to Avoid Weight Gain
The holidays are once again upon us and there will be many gatherings with family and friends with many delicious dishes and treats. If we are not careful, it will be very easy to gain 5 or more pounds over the next few weeks. Many people may already have gained from Thanksgiving as studies show the average person in this country eats 4000 calories just in that one large Thanksgiving Day meal. We all enjoy the holidays but not the weight gain that can come with it.
Here are a few more helpful hints to get you through the rest of the year without gaining. Think of different ways to handle holiday stress. Take a brisk walk (or exercise) instead of going for food or sweets when you feel anxious. This will not only help burn off some of the calories ingested but also releases endorphins to help you feel better. Also drink plenty of fluids to keep you hydrated and this will also help you feel fuller and keep you eating less.
When you find yourself at events or gatherings, try to avoid appetizers. Never munch directly from an appetizer tray as it is difficult to keep track of what you have eaten. If you decide to sample some of the appetizers, always use a small plate for your selections and try not to return for second helpings. Using a smaller dinner plate for a meal also works for keeping portion sizes smaller.
Make healthy choices with the items you do select. Eating skinless white meat is always a better choice than dark meat as the white meat has less fat and fewer calories and therefore takes less activity to burn off later. White fish is always a good choice as it is also much less fatty than a darker fish like salmon. When fixing your plate, always try to fill a good portion of your (smaller) plate with healthy green veggies.
Don’t be in a rush to eat. It takes 15 minutes or more for the brain to realize that you are full. Eat more slowly and drink more water while eating and this will allow time for your brain to realize when you are full. This way, you feel satisfied and are less likely to go back for second helpings. Another good idea along this line is to drink a full glass of water (or two) before eating. This will certainly help fill you up more quickly and allow for less eating.
Regardless of how well you do with following your diet during the holidays, you may still gain a few pounds. Some of this will be water as stress makes you hold on to water and the holidays are usually stressful, even if it is in a good way. There are many factors that will cause you to hold on to water but the water usually comes back off in the next week or so. Even if you do put on a little fat, we can always help you get that off quickly if you are not able to get it off on your own. We offer several weight loss and body shaping programs to help you lose weight quickly and safely including our Rapid Weight Loss & HCG programs. With the Rapid program, you can lose 10 to 30 pounds a month depending on your size and sex. The HCG program helps you target stubborn fat around your belly and love handles. We use bioelectric impedance testing which allows us to know your body composition. This way we know how many pounds of fat, water and muscle you have. We repeat this testing monthly to know exactly what you are losing. We can also tell how many calories you are eating per day.
Our programs are easy to follow and will work in every person, every time. The diet is real food that you can fix at home or find in any restaurant therefore you don’t have to worry about meal replacements or a liquid diet of any kind. We will teach you how to lose weight eating real food; therefore you can easily maintain your weight eating real food after you reach your target weight. We even have several maintenance programs to choose from when you are finished to make it easier for you to maintain.
If you or someone you know can use our help in reaching and maintaining your weight loss goals, then give our office a call to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today!
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