Thanksgiving is about two weeks away—and while that’s exciting for many people, for others it’s a source of dread and anxiety. Unfortunately...
Thanksgiving is about two weeks away—and while that’s exciting for many people, for others it’s a source of dread and anxiety. Unfortunately, many people follow easy weight loss programs for months and derail all their results during the holidays. Even when you overhaul your lifestyle, eat healthy and exercise regularly, it can all fly out the window once the turkey comes out of the oven.
At our medical weight loss centers, we help our members find ways to manage their weight loss effectively and for the long term, which includes strategies for getting through the holidays. Read on to discover some cool ways to keep holiday weight gain at bay.
- Log every single thing. Write down everything you consume, from the condiments you put on your sandwich and the lemonade you drank with lunch to the spoonful of cookie batter you sampled at your neighbor’s house. These little things we forget to log add up quickly and can easily throw us off track.
- BYOF. Bring your own food if you’re going to a party where you know the buffet is going to throw you completely off track. If you bring a healthy, low calorie dish, at least you’ll know there is one thing you can eat that will help fill you up and compensate for some of the damage you could do with other decadent offerings.
- Limit libations. If you’re dieting or following easy weight loss programs, alcohol can be your worst enemy. Not only does it sneak empty calories into your day, it lowers inhibitions and therefore makes it more difficult to bypass the pizza, candy or baked goods that are staring you in the face. Opt for diet-friendly drinks whenever you can, and choose low calorie libations such as a white wine Spritzer.
- Schedule your workouts. At our medical weight loss centers, we urge our members to incorporate regular physical activity into their weight loss regimen. It’s the best way to expedite your weight loss results while boosting your health and fitness levels. Just because it’s the holiday season, don’t stray from your workout regimen. Schedule each workout as if it’s an appointment you have to keep, no different from a doctor’s visit or work meeting. In addition, since you may be consuming more than usual due to holiday soirees and festivities, increase the duration and intensity of your workout to help make up for any damage you may incur.
