Christmas

Its almost Christmas time again!

With the feeling of magic in the air and a buzz of excitement, there lingering in the back of your mind might also be the feeling of worry or dread. The feeling that you may put on weight over this festive season.

It’s the same question that arises time and time again. How do I avoid putting on weight over the Christmas break?

However, it may not be about the food that causes the weight gain. Instead it may be one of these things that makes your clothes feel just that little bit tighter after the festivities.

Alcohol:

Alcohol is energy dense adding 7 calories per gram of alcohol. In comparison to protein and carbohydrates which contain 4 calories and fat 9 calories. Add a couple of nibbles to the mix, such as cheese, cabanossi and crackers and you may already have eaten your fair share of calories before the main event has even come out.

Tip: To avoid going overboard, do your best to stick to the alcohol consumption guidelines which is   have no more than two standard drinks (100ml is one standard drink) a day and never more than four standard drinks on a single occasion. Whilst there is no level of alcohol consumption considered safe, these evidence-based guidelines have been put in place to minimise the risks involved.

Less activity:

Christmas holiday fun includes socialising with family and friends, sleeping in everyday, lazing around at the beach, in front of the tele or on the computer, having endless long lunches with friends and not running around crazy busy like you are used to. This break in daily routine means you’re sitting more, eating more, less likely to exercise or get to a gym class and moving less in general.  

Tip: Missing one or two days of physical activity is not going to make much difference to your overall waistline but if you plan on doing not much over the 7 to 8 weeks off over Christmas consider ramping up your summer routine. This may include some physical activity such as walking, jogging, riding a bike, kicking a ball with the kids in the back yard or having a game of cricket. This way you are still having a relaxing break but increasing your overall physical activity.

Sleep:

Most of us enjoy a sleep in from time to time and when in routine will get enough. However, getting enough sleep around 7 to 8 hours is important for health, wellbeing and for our waistlines too. Sleep is a key player when managing your weight. Not getting enough sleep can increase hunger signals to the brain and may cause you to crave sugary, processed junk food. Therefore, make sure you are hitting the pillow to get at least a good night’s sleep, not only in the Christmas break, but all year round too.

Nibbles:

What’s a party without nibbles, it’s all part of the Christmas tradition. But if you’re filling up on these delicious pre-delights and still eating a regular meal and dessert than that’s a lot of extra energy in the form of calories you have consumed. Don’t get me wrong, enjoy a few mouthfuls from that beautifully decorated mouth-watering platter just don’t make a main meal out of it. You still want to have room for when that main meal hits the table.

Skimping out on vegetables:

Not eating your fill of vegetables over the Christmas break, may add to your weight gain but will also mean you are missing out on added fibre for a healthy gut and an abundance of different vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, too. Vegetables are low in calories, so you can eat as many as you like. This does fill you up in addition to helping you reduce your overall energy intake of your meal.

Tip:

Remember the portion perfection plate and fill up half your plate with vegetables, think salads and or roasted or sautéed veggies and stick to a quarter lean protein and a quarter carbohydrate. This will keep you feeling full and ensure your diet is balanced.

At the end of the day you want to enjoy your Christmas festivities and you want to feel happy and content, not deprived or feel like you have missed out. Christmas is a time of joy, and happiness, it is also a time to spend with your loved ones. In addition, food is part of all these celebrations and can make your memories of these days extra special. But food doesn’t need to be the focus of the occasion. So, keep in mind where you are, what you are doing, enjoy the conversations and the music and retain your mindfulness. Meaning listen to your body’s hunger signals and ask yourself the question are you really feeling hungry or are you diving in again just because you liked the taste of it, or because you don’t want to offend someone as they offer you more food?

Want to know more about how to manage food all year round not just at Christmas?Take a look at my 12 week program. Here I give you the tools to help you manage your own eating pattern for health and wellbeing. The beauty of this program is I break it down for you over the 12 weeks, which means you can work with it at your own pace as well. You can find the link here

Wishing you all a happy and wonderful Christmas.

And thank you for your support over the years.

Until next time

Theresa Gray. XX