The holiday season has officially begun. It’s amazing how the holidays have a habit of sneaking up on everyone, even though they are thesame dates year after year. It’s that time of the year when there’s a holiday party after holiday party, followed by a holiday party. Furthermore, what do all of the holiday parties have in common? The basis of every party is alcohol (calories) and food (calories AND fat).
With the consumption of so many additional calories and the lack of exercise (Let’s be honest, how many say to themselves, “It’s ok, I’ll forgo today’s workout and do an extra 45 minutes on the elliptical tomorrow”?), we can easily pack on the pounds. If you’re one of the many individuals who love to indulge during the holiday season, here are five ways to lose the weight after the holidays.
1.Pick your goal.
Decide on how much you want to lose and write it down. Make sure you pick a goal amount that is attainable. Once you write your goal down, it becomes real, and chances are you’ll stick to it. Remember to be very specific with your goal. For example, if you want to lose 15 pounds within 2-3 months, write that from the first week of January, your goal is to lose two pounds per week for eight weeks.
2.Start exercising.
During the holiday season, there tends to be a lax attitude towards exercise. We often put it off or forgo working out altogether. Even before the holidays end, the next thing that needs to be done, after the weight loss goal has been decided, is to begin a consistent exercise routine. The number of days and for how long will vary, based on the individual end goals, so seek assistance from a physician or trainer if necessary.
3.Cut out the sweet deserts.
Yes, apple crisp, red velvet cake, and cookies are a lot during the holidays. However, that doesn’t mean you should indulge. When you consume large amounts of sugar, it sends your body into high gear, producing insulin and pulling glucose into your cells. That process automatically causes your body to store the fat for future use, and this is what causes weight gain. It’s best to cut out the added sugars and stick to foods with naturally occurring sugars like fruits, as they also have vitamins to balance everything out.
4.Limit the alcohol intake.
Like the deserts above, alcohol is often loaded with sugar. By cutting alcohol, you can reduce a lot of unnecessary calories and save room for calories from food. If you can’t stay away from alcohol, try to avoid the mixers like sweet and sour, juices, or soda, as those are where the majority of the sugars are found.
5.Increase water intake and vegetables.
Increasing intake of water and vegetables is something that should actually occur during the holiday season. However, it’s never too late to start. Water has several functions. Water increases your metabolism, flushes excess sodium which causes bloating, and often, we mistake being hungry for our body actually trying to tell us we are hungry. As for vegetables, they are a fraction of the calories yet are loaded with vitamins, nutrients, and fiber. Fiber is a significant benefit as it helps you feel full.
Losing holiday weight can be a grueling task. The pink heals diet reviews states that the key is to be proactive. Therefore, next holiday season, instead of planning how to lose the weight, plan how not to gain so much weight during the holidays.