In the spirit of creating awareness around healthy eating around this time of the year, I have decided to write my first blog on a very popular and most researched topic – ‘How to avoid weight gain during holidays’.
Let’s get started then!
Holidays are right around the corner and for many of us, that means exposure to our favorite foods that magically appear on our tables in abundance, although craving to make a statement of contrast to the rest of the year. May it be your workplace, a community center or a church, it’s hard to pass those goodies and sweet treats whose delicious wafts takes on the form of a magnet. Temptation abounds…. I know. I can feel my tummy rumbling already. Holiday weight gain can come on instantaneously, yes and for many us to shed the weight, it might seem like climbing the ‘Everest’.
Well, then how do we manage our cravings during holiday time, possibly avoid holiday weight gain and stay in routine? I am happy to share some successful ideas with you all.
- Practising Mindful Eating: We all work so hard to put that food on the plate, but for many of us, rushing and gobbling food down is a daily part of our lives. Do you remember when was the last time you sat down and took your time to eat your choice meal in a relaxed setting? How about allotting 45 minutes to an hour for yourself for the whole day to sit down and enjoy your meals? This breaks the allotted time down to only 15-20 minutes/meal. This is a great opportunity to think about how the food reached our ‘Plate from the Farm’ and give thanks. Did you know, that many cultures around the world practice Thanksgiving every day? Practising mindful eating has strengthened my relationship with food, and I believe, as parents, we can nurture our kids to be grateful for the food they have and develop a healthy relationship with it.
- Moderation with food intake: Overeating can lead to feelings of guilt and build negativity around food. You do not want food, especially food you love, to be part of an unsavory memory. That’s exactly why moderation is key and has been a proven strategy for many in the past to manage and prevent weight gain and continues to be the best one out there. It sounds hard to initiate moderation with food portions, but it is easy once we get the hang of it. You will love your weight coming off with nothing else but simple food moderation. But the trick here is moderation with starches, sugary, high calorie/high-fat foods and not with non-starchy vegetables. Load up on a good salad or a soup with lots of veggies.
- Last but not the least, the most important aspect to avoiding weight gain is “Calories in – Calories out”. I can’t emphasize enough the benefits of regular physical activity during holiday time. Physical activity relieves stress, keeps you from packing those extra pounds, and instills healthy eating behaviors.
nice blog