8 Tips to Avoid Weight Gain During the Holidays

Summer’s here and everyone’s thinking about getting into shape, but that doesn’t stop us from gaining weight during the holidays and New Year’s. We eat more, we drink more, and we spend more time sitting around than usual, all of which contribute to holiday weight gain. If you want to enjoy the holidays without gaining weight, check out these eight tips to avoid weight gain during the holidays.

1) Don’t diet, change your habits

If you’re trying to lose weight and you want to avoid gaining weight over the holidays, it’s critical that you avoid dieting. Dieting alone often leads people down a dangerous slippery slope of disordered eating, yo-yo dieting, and even stress-induced binging. Instead of dieting, try changing your habits by making subtle changes in your lifestyle that make long-term weight loss possible (not just for the holidays). For example, aim for modest goals like getting more active or packing a healthy lunch instead of ordering pizza. Creating new habits will not only help keep you from gaining weight during the holidays but also allow you to continue living a healthy lifestyle after December 25th.

2) Watch what you drink

If you’re trying to cut calories, you might think that skipping a cocktail or two at holiday parties is a good way to avoid weight gain. However, a single cocktail can easily top 300 calories, so cutting back on cocktails alone may not be enough. Cutting out alcohol and all its empty calories might be a better plan if your goal is weight loss. If you do drink, skip sugary mixers and soda or fruit juice altogether in favour of plain seltzer water or club soda with a splash of juice. You’ll still get that fizz without all those extra grams of sugar. Not feeling like you want alcohol? Try making your own homemade brews!

3) Cut out processed foods

Processed foods are easy to eat, but they’re usually high in calories and unhealthy fats. Instead of reaching for packaged sweets or snacks, stick with healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains. These foods will not only fill you up with fewer calories than their processed counterparts, but they’ll also fill you up longer so you won’t have to keep eating more food. You could still indulge in a few small treats without going overboard. Having just one piece of candy during your kid's holiday party won't ruin your weight-loss plan as long as you get back on track when it's over.

4) Read nutrition labels

Whether you’re shopping for a snack or dinner, nutrition labels can help you make good decisions. You may have heard that white bread isn’t as healthy as whole wheat—so check out those labels before buying any kind of bread and aim for low-sugar snacks. Be careful of beverages too; alcohol is packed with empty calories. To avoid gaining weight during the holidays, avoid all processed foods. Stick to fresh and wholesome ingredients, like vegetables and meat instead of canned goods. While eating junk food once in a while won't kill you, it's still important to be aware of how it affects your health over time - so don't go overboard! A little here and there will not do much harm—and can actually add some variety if done in moderation!

5) Start your day with protein

Protein helps boost your metabolism and can help suppress your appetite. Eggs, for example, are high in protein—making them a great breakfast choice for weight loss. Other great breakfast proteins include Greek yogurt with berries, peanut butter on whole-wheat toast or cottage cheese with fruit. If you have a tendency to skip meals, try making breakfast more important by adding more protein to each meal throughout your day. As an added bonus, starting your day with protein means you'll be less likely to snack before lunchtime since you feel fuller longer.

6) Pack snacks for work

When you eat out at restaurants over the holidays, it’s easy to end up consuming more calories than you need—or worse, gaining weight. Bring healthy snacks like fruits and nuts with you so that you don’t break your diet even when you’re not at home.

7) Get plenty of sleep

One of those days can leave you feeling so tired and exhausted that you skip a workout or two. And, one missed session in your fitness routine may not seem like a big deal, but it could actually lead to losing out on some gains—and quickly put you back at square one. Even worse, missing workouts during what’s supposed to be a healthy time for you could also throw off your weight-loss goals and keep you from getting into shape. So go easy on yourself and don’t pressure yourself into staying up late for holiday activities if it leaves you feeling rundown by day's end. If sleep is scarce, at least get in a quick workout early in the morning before heading off to meet friends or family members.

8) Don’t skip meals

Skipping meals is a surefire way to overeat later on. It’s true that skipping meals can make you hungrier, but what many people don’t realize is that it also makes your metabolism sluggish, so you burn fewer calories overall. And since metabolism influences weight loss, your body will become more likely to store fat.

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