How to burn those extra kilograms without losing your favourite foods this holiday season (5 strategies to keep the weight off permanently)
It’s coming around to the festive season again. A time when overindulgence in food is all too common.
Food, drinks, dessert. All the joys that strip away your progress.
This is not just the festive season though. Maybe it is just the middle of the year when you are reading this and you have too many social events hindering you from reaching your goals.
Either way, all too soon you wake up, look at yourself, and think, ‘Wow, I'm starting to look a little rough around the edges’
At least this is definitely how I feel during certain points of the year.
If you agree with this too, then I can say that at least you have a life well lived. But that doesn’t necessarily help you with your goals now, does it?
No, but there are ways to fix this and reduce the severity of it in the future.
To understand how we can reduce putting on weight without cutting away our favourite foods, first, we need to understand how weight loss occurs.
How weight loss occurs.
Simply put, weight change occurs because of how much an individual is consuming relative to how much energy they are burning.
This can be demonstrated by a scale with energy intake on one side, and energy expenditure on the other side.
Graphic of energy balance scales (weight maintenance)
For weight loss to occur, there needs to be a net energy loss, which is called a caloric deficit. This means you are burning more energy than you are consuming.
This principle can be seen beautifully in the graphic attached below.
Graphic of energy balance scales (weight loss)
The opposite is also true too, consuming more than you are burning creates a net energy gain, called a caloric surplus. This is how those few extra slices of Christmas ham cause weight gain to occur.
Graphic of energy balance scales (weight gain)
Now that we understand how weight change occurs, how do we focus on not gaining weight in these festive periods while still being able to enjoy our favourite foods?
Simple. First, let me explain why our favourite foods are not making you gain weight.
Why your favourite foods are not making you fat.
Firstly, weight change is largely a nutritional intervention. This means that the biggest factor to changing scale weight is dependent on how we eat.
How we are is comprised of 2 factors:
1.
What we eat
2.
How much we eat
Most people think that it’s what we eat that affects us the most. The sweets, the fatty foods, or the dreaded carbohydrates that lead to the changing scale weight. Although this is not necessarily correct.
These food groups often can be easily overconsumed because they offer low amounts of satiety and high energy density. Also especially when they are so prevalent like the holidays where they constitute the majority of the foods at any social event.
But those foods are not the issue, so much as how much of those foods you are eating.
As the adage goes:
“The difference between medicine and poison is often in the dosage” - anon
During these periods when you are likely not going to be having the cleanest diet, understand that what we are eating might not be so bad compared to how much we are eating.
It is not the actual food but the quantity of it that causes that surplus of energy that tips the scales in the direction of weight gain.
Does this mean I can eat whatever I want?
Yes, to an extent. Let me explain.
How not to gain weight eating your favourite foods.
The way to not gain weight during the holiday period is through implementing good habits in these times when normal lifestyle and behavior are not normal.
The holidays or any extreme period of life requires an alteration in how we operate day to day.
This behaviour change is how we manage the temporary lifestyle change.
Let me just state that what I am about to write is not advice that I would endorse to do in your everyday life.
You should strive for good eating habits and routines as well as eating well-balanced meals as these ultimately affect your long-term health and longevity.
But you can get through this period relatively unscathed if you implement these 5 strategies.
1.
The 2-Day rule
I did not say that you would get through without a little bit of sacrifice.
The 2-Day rule is a simple quick fix that you can implement whether it is the holiday season or if it is just a busy period of your life.
The 2-day rule is a concept rooted in the idea of moderation and self-discipline, particularly in the context of hedonistic behaviors can allow for indulgence in these practices without being consumed by them. The premise suggests that you should avoid indulging in pleasure-seeking activities for two consecutive days.
This rule can be applied to many aspects of life, including diet, but also in leisure activities, and entertainment.
The underlying philosophy behind the 2-day rule is to promote balance and prevent the negative consequences that can arise from excessive or continuous engagement in pleasurable activities. It works simply by limiting the total amount of ‘bad’ days you have by reducing the amount you can commit to engaging in.
2.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a dietary approach that involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting.
Applying intermittent fasting as a rule, especially during holiday periods, can be a strategic way to navigate the challenges of calorie-dense celebrations for multiple reasons.
One of the strengths of intermittent fasting is its flexibility. There are various methods, such as the 16/8 method (16 hours of fasting, 8 hours of eating) or the 5:2 method (five days of regular eating, two days of reduced calorie intake), allowing individuals to choose an approach that fits their lifestyle.
Intermittent fasting can act as a preventive measure also by encouraging individuals to be more mindful of their eating habits. Establishing specific eating windows, it can help mitigate the risk of continuous snacking or consuming excessive calories throughout the day.
Intermittent fasting also promotes mindful eating by creating a structured eating schedule. This can encourage individuals to savor and appreciate their meals during the designated eating window, fostering a more intentional approach to food consumption.
3.
Increasing Physical Activity
Exercise should be seen as an opportunity to develop your physical prowess and not a means to expend energy, and through understanding that you can’t out-train a bad diet. Increasing physical activity might just be the tool that improves your ability to keep that extra weight from creeping on.
Bringing it back to that weight scale we saw at the start, increasing that half of the scale can tip the side of energy burnt to be more than or equal to the energy consumed.
So whether that is through going for extra walks day to day, post-eating, or even taking up more sessions at the gym, with your local personal trainer or group fitness studio. This will make all the difference between whether you keep the weight off or not this holiday season.
If you need help with your health and fitness, we are more than happy to help. You can sign up below to get started with us and we can work towards getting ahead of the holiday season and starting off the new year working on a better version of yourself.
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4.
Stay hydrated
This is a quick and simple one to implement and people often overlook it.
Sometimes hunger signals are not signals of hunger but signs of emptiness from dehydration.
If you are regularly drinking water throughout this time, your ability to eat food will be reduced because your stomach will be full of water and whatever hunger signals you do have will be able to be discerned from true hunger from dehydration.
This simple trick will reduce the total amount of food you intake and reduce your hunger which will minimise how much energy you are consuming during this holiday season.
5.
Practice stress management
Managing stress is crucial for maintaining overall well-being and preventing emotional eating, which can contribute to weight gain.
Implementing things such as meditation, yoga, and exercise (attached is a signup form below), time management limiting stimulant use, and getting adequate sleep will all reduce your overall stress levels which will regular your hunger signals better throughout this time.
If you are stressed and emotional, you are more likely to overeat.
It is a simple measure but works effectively.
Enjoy your holiday season.
As we approach the festive season or any period filled with social events, the fear of derailing our progress can be daunting. Yet, understanding the fundamentals of weight change empowers us to navigate these challenges without sacrificing the joy of our favorite foods.
Remember, it's not necessarily what we eat but how much we eat that tips the scales. Adopting good habits and implementing strategic approaches can help you enjoy the holidays without the worry of unwanted weight gain. The 2-Day rule, intermittent fasting, increasing physical activity, staying hydrated, and practicing stress management are five effective strategies to keep those extra kilograms at bay.
While these strategies offer a practical way to navigate the holiday season, it's important to emphasize that long-term health and well-being require consistent good eating habits and routines. These temporary measures serve as a bridge to help you enjoy the festivities without compromising your goals.
So, embrace the joy of the holiday season, savor your favorite foods, and implement these strategies to ensure you emerge from this period feeling content, balanced, and ready to embark on a new year as the best version of yourself. Cheers to a well-lived life and a healthy, happy holiday season!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.