With Christmas cookies, fudge and eggnog at every turn, it can feel impossible to avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain. Of course, we could skip all the treats and cocktails and focus on working out and eating healthy right into the New Year, but where’s the fun in that?
Want to enjoy the holidays and still be able to button your pants? These tips for managing your waistline when you’re feeling lazy can help:
- Sleep more- It may be hard to catch those ZZZs when you’ve got cocktail parties to attend and presents to wrap, but getting to bed at a decent hour is good for the waistline. Research shows those who get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night have fewer hunger pangs and may be less likely to make less healthy food choices.
- Eat more fiber- It helps us feel fuller for longer, so load up on high-fiber foods like fruits, veggies, oats, and lentils.
- Go for a walk- Not up for an HIIT workout or spin class? Walking counts as exercise, too! A brisk walk can build stamina, is good for heart health and can burn calories as well.
- Shift your eating window- Have you tried intermittent fasting? One popular version is the 16:8 diet, where you eat in an eight hour window, then fast the other 16 hours. An analysis of 25 studies finds those who did fasting diets didn’t lose more weight over eight weeks than those who restricted calories, but they did keep their seven percent weight loss off for a year.
- Ask for a tall glass- When you go out for Christmas cocktails, ask for yours in a tall glass. One study finds that the shape of the glass influences the bartender’s pour and they tend to pour 28% more into a wide rocks glass than in a tall highball glass. More liquor equals more calories, so it’s worth a shot.
- Treat yourself- Diving into a diet during the holidays may be challenging and registered dietitian Elizabeth Huggins actually advises against it. “I recommend parking your weight loss expectations during a time of year that is historically tough on most of us for sticking to the original plan,” she explains. “Instead, strive for weight maintenance.”
Check out the full article at New York Post