The holidays are a difficult time when you are trying to lose weight. For most of us, the holiday season is filled with big family meals and all sorts of food. This can wreak havoc on any healthy eating plan. The following tips will help you to cut down on the number of calories you consume during those big family holiday meals and continue your weight loss efforts using simple tips common to all diet plans that work.
Make healthier food choices. This may seem like an obvious thing, but during the holidays, it is one that many people tend to forget. There are quite a few obvious changes that you can make, but there are some more subtle ones that might pass you by. Choose steamed green beans instead of the casserole. Choose turkey breast instead of thigh. Choose the slice of ham that does not have a large piece of fat attached to it. Lifelong weight loss is all about the little choices that you are constantly making.
Avoid condiments whenever possible. Butter, gravy, and other sauces that are popular during meal times are filled with more calories than you might expect. Leave them off your plate and you could save hundreds of calories at each meal.
Choose smaller portions. For many of us, successful weight loss comes down to eating the proper amounts in order to meet our goals. Most of the time, these weight loss basics simply go out the window during the holidays. People feel that the holidays are an excuse to binge and eat thousands of calories at each meal. Feel free to have a bit of everything if you want to, but choose small portions if you want to cut calories.
Start with the vegetables. When I say vegetables, I don’t mean sugar-glazed sweet potatoes swimming in butter and marshmallows. By vegetables, I mean salad with just a touch of dressing, broccoli and carrots from the vegetable platter, and similar choices. These low-calorie options will help fill you up before you start eating things that are higher in calories.
Eat slowly. One of the most well-known diet adages is that the stomach takes twenty minutes to tell your brain that it is full. This is very true. Use the holiday meals as an opportunity to talk with your family and catch up. Not only does this help bring you closer, but it will slow your eating and give your stomach time to let your brain know when to stop eating. This is very beneficial when it comes to fat loss.