4 Ways to Undo the Christmas Weight Gain
As hard to believe as it may be, we’re now in the year 2020. So far, people aren’t flying around on jetpacks or driving hover cars, but what many of them are doing, is attempting to undo the damage they did to their waistlines over the festive period. During the holidays, obviously it’s mandatory to inhale as many pigs in blankets as possible, to eat your weight in mince pies and junk food, and to drink so much alcohol your liver doesn’t know what year it is. The majority of us enjoy ourselves over the holidays, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, now we’re in the New Year, it’s time to atone for our sins. If you’re looking to lose your Xmas weight, and perhaps even a little extra, here are some very useful tips.
Get more active – In the New Year, gyms up and down the globe are packed full of people looking to get fit, healthy, and to stick to their New Year’s Resolution of finally getting in shape. Exercise is ideal for losing weight, plus it provides countless health benefits too. If you’ve weight to lose, exercise is vital. How you exercise is entirely up to you. You could train in a gym, exercise at home, go walking, walk the dog, cycling, swimming, and so much more. As long as you’re physically active, you’re burning calories which means that your weight loss will speed up.
Don’t diet – Right now, countless people all over the country are starving hungry, angry, irritable, and miserable because they’re dieting to try to lose the weight they gained over Christmas. Right now, we’re telling you not to diet. Seriously, diets do not work in the long run. Sure, you’ll lose weight, but you’ll make yourself miserable in the process, you’ll be low on energy because of the extreme caloric deficit, and as soon as you break the diet or reach your goal, you’ll likely binge. Diets promote binge-eating which is not sustainable and typically results in your weight yo-yoing up and down. Instead of dieting, eat healthy meals that you enjoy eating, and monitor your calories.
Use healthy substitutions – Another very useful tip when it comes to shedding the holiday weight, is to use healthy substitutions for your favourite foods and meals. When making mashed potatoes for example, instead of butter and cream, add a splash of milk and an egg yolk for a rich and creamy texture. Instead of fatty cuts of meat like Ribeye, opt for lean cuts such as rump. Just be aware that “low-fat” products aren’t usually healthy. Low fat spreads for example, may be lower in fats and calories than butter, but they’re often made with trans fats and chemicals which are very bad for you.
Set realistic goals – When trying to lose weight, it’s important to have goals to aim for. However, to keep you on track and to ensure that you are psychologically in the zone, we recommend that you set yourself realistic goals. Instead of aiming to lose 5 pounds in a week, try to lose 1.5 – 2 pounds in a week. This is much more obtainable and it means that you have something realistic to aim for.