Whenever Christmas is coming, I feel anxious, because our families are always very hospitable and there is always plenty of the finest food on the holiday table. For me, as I’m a foodie it is almost impossible to resist these temptations. After these evenings I can’t fit in my jeans and I am bloated. Do you feel the same way? If yes, keep reading, I will tell you soon my tips to avoid weight gain during holiday and festive season

My Tips to avoid weight gain during holiday and festive season

• Eat a low-calorie meal before going to your family’s house, such as fresh vegetables, fruits, or a salad. If you arrive hungry, you will eat much more than you need, to suppress your hunger. Usually there are many different delicious dishes at a holiday dinner.

• It is not necessary to tell everyone you are on a diet when you arrive at the party. That will not help. Keep your distance from the table instead. An agreement with yourself works better than saying it to others. Keep your promise honestly.

• Drinks. Remember, all sweet and strong alcohol drinks are very high in calories. Stronger alcohol beverages have 3 times more calories than dry wine. If you compare semi-sweet or sweet champagne with dry, the dry version has very little sugar. Do not mix alcoholic drinks and keep your glass half-full so that the hospitable hosts will not tempt you to top it up, during the holiday feast.

• Snacks. Try to avoid chips, roasted nuts and other fat snacks. It’s the most unhealthy and high-fat food. Try to avoid all fat meals.

• Main dishes. If you suffer a food hangover the following day, the culprit is meat. The feeling of heaviness, slow digestion, even bloating after consuming a large portion of meat is common thing. High-fat foods stay in your stomach longer and can still be with you in the morning, causing nausea, heartburn, and soreness in your stomach. Don’t eat meat.

• Condiments. If you are the hostess, make a light oil dressing with apple cider vinegar. Then you will taste dishes with a great low-fat condiment without fear. Make a salad that you can taste without sin.

• Desserts. When it comes time for a sweet sin, try to eat as much fresh fruit as possible. It is better to give up on cake. If you really want it, grab a fruity one, but not with cream or butter filling. A little more sugar than usual could result in a blood glucose spike, which might cause nausea, jitteriness, and even headaches.

• If you feel bad after the holidays and have failed to keep your promises, plan a day or a whole week when you eat just fruits and vegetables. Don’t even think about sitting down at the feast table to finish the leftovers. Drink warm water with lemon after you get up. On the first day after the holiday, drink only water or fresh fruit juice diluted in half with water. It will reduce your hunger. The other option is to drink a fresh fruit smoothie or eat a fresh fruit and vegetable salad topped with light oil.

• After eating fat and sweet food you will gain 1 or 2 kg during the holidays. You will lose this weight quickly if you eat a lot of green fruits and vegetables for a week. The best decision is to remove flour, fat, meat, dairy from your menu. Do not eat for at least 5 hours before going to bed.

• Reduce the coffee you drink. Coffee itself is not high in calories, but the caffeine in it activates bile, „releases” insulin, which increases hunger and accumulates more fat in the body.

• If you suffer from emotional eating, try to catch yourself before you start to eat. Find out what emotion made you want to eat. This is usually caused by various types of stress. Identify it and try to calm down with a cup of tea. If you are full, the craving to eat will disappear once you calm down.

I hope you liked these tips. Stay healthy and graceful by eating more fresh, vitamin-rich, and easily digestible foods on these holiday days and every day.