According to a study conducted by California State University, individuals often gain between one to one and a half kilograms of weight during the Christmas period alone. This amount of weight might not seem like that much, but researchers have realized that any weight gained during the holiday period is rarely lost.
Anybody would agree that during the festive season, the urge to put on extra calories often lurks around each corner. Holiday parties, frosted cookies at the office, and gingerbread houses at home all make the holidays the perfect time to gain weight.
The question now becomes, what types of tips can you employ so as to ensure that you either maintain or lose your weight as you welcome the new year?
We are going to examine in detail the most effective tips that can help you stay in shape, even as you celebrate.
Watch Your Breakfast
Did you know that the most tempting time to consume unhealthy junk foods often occurs at night? This implies that whatever you eat for breakfast will have a significant impact on your weight loss. It is highly recommended that you should incorporate either peanuts or peanut butter in your breakfast daily because it takes longer to get digested.
This will significantly reduce cravings for nearly twelve hours, keeping your appetite in check according to a study that was conducted by a British-based journal which deals with nutrition.
This is key to avoiding the urge to eat delicious foods that are rich in calories. Bearing in mind that you’ll stay satisfied most of the time, one can easily resist the urge to eat as frequently.
Prevent Emotional Eating
Holidays are meant to be joyful and cheery times, but can sometimes turn out stressful for certain people. According to an associate professor of the Delaware University, one should focus on being able to withstand emotional eating to avoid gaining excess weight and compounding stress. A precise study was conducted so as to examine how an emotional state influences the individuals’ choice of foods.
The study revealed that when people are in good spirits, there is an increased likelihood that they’ll consume foods that are healthy other than indulgent foods. On the other hand, those who are stressed out or are in a bad mood are more likely to opt for comfort foods that are not healthy.
Those involved in the study were requested to reflect on the future, and they vowed to continue to eat healthy foods regardless of their emotional state or moods. More importantly, the researchers found out that making the participants think about the future critically convinced them to value the long-term gains of practicing a healthy diet.
Have A Rest Before The Party
According to research that was carried out by Dartmouth College, eating junk food is usually triggered by decision fatigue. This particular study was conducted on thirty-three women who were requested to participate in two different activities.
These participants watched a specific movie which had words running below the screen. A portion of the group was advised not to read the words displayed, whereas the other group was instructed to read. After that, the participants were told to examine individual food pictures and tell how it tempted them.
This study concluded that the group which tried resisting the urge not to read the words wanted to consume more food as compared to the other group. This is because mental exertion limited the strength of their mind, and this is believed to have made junk food more tempting.
This observation tells us that one should give his/her brain adequate rest before embarking on any activity, especially one in which food is involved.
Choose Your Dinner Companions Cautiously
It is no secret that the festive season is also a common time to come together with both relatives and friends. Most often, a large meal is shared during this time. Wouldn’t it be great if your pals were as health conscious as you are?
According to a 2013 annual report meeting held by the agriculture and applied economic association, it has been proven that having dinner companions with the same health standards makes it much easier to remain healthy during the holidays, and all year long for that matter.
Professionals critically analyzed one 1,459 customer orders in a particular restaurant. These clients were not aware that their orders were being checked. The clients opted for foods which were in the same category as the individuals they were sharing the meal with.
It was noted that when people ordered the foods that were similar to those of their mates, they were contented and convinced that whatever they had ordered was the best. The opposite is also true, and this implies that one should be extremely careful with the type of people they eat with during the holidays.
Prepare for Tempting Times
According to research which was conducted by Journal Obesity, people usually experience cravings for salty, starchy, and sweet things at around eight pm. To be more precise, this research showed that the body’s rhythm makes people want to eat more foods automatically at night.
A larger percentage of individuals are likely to overindulge in the winter, due to the increased desire to feel more comfortable. However, this particular issue might be corrected by eating snacks which are delicious but have decreased calories.
Drink Responsibly
Now, we’re not about to try telling you that you can’t ever drink! After all, we want to give you tips that you’re actually likely to follow. However, you should be watchful and selective regarding which alcoholic drinks are best for weight control. If you didn’t know, there is a huge correlation between drink preference and weight for regular drinkers.
Many of the drinks which we often select have significant calories, and this has been proven to have an impact on bodily fats. Opting instead for the types of drinks with low sugar levels is key to ensuring that you keep your weight in check, even while you are enjoying yourself.
