Christmas, oh sweet Christmas! This week the holidays have already begun and without a doubt, it is the time of year when we usually do the most excesses. Lunches, dinners, drinks… and again, lunches, dinners, drinks… In just three weeks we can spoil the work of months. According to the experts, between 2 and 4 kilos are usually gained during Christmas and to this we must add the extra weight gained during confinement. And although this year we have got rid of the dinner of friends or company, the real challenge begins this Thursday, from the Christmas Eve dinner. That’s why today Camino de Cabras Health brings you several tips to keep your weight down at Christmas.
Tips to keep your weight down at Christmas
Meals these days are for enjoyment, not for suffering. That’s why the most important thing is to have fun with the family, either in person or virtually. Avoid worrying about food spoiling your holidays. By putting into practice the advice given below, you’ll be much more relaxed knowing that you’ll be able to eat and not get fat at Christmas.
Maintaining a healthy diet
The first thing you need to be aware of is that during the days that are not holidays or anything to celebrate, you should continue to maintain a healthy diet. Avoid excesses and sugar-laden foods during the days in between, you’ll have time to eat them on the important days.
You don’t have to give up Christmas meals to keep your weight down. Just watch your diet on non-holiday days. Base your diet on vegetables and fruit, not forgetting whole grains. If you’ve taken care of your diet throughout the rest of the year, you’ll need to make an extra effort now more than ever. Compensate for Christmas meals with more fruit and vegetables and opt for grilled fish and meat.
Plan the menu
We all know that this is an atypical Christmas. If you are going to join your family, try to plan where you are going to celebrate each holiday and host at least one day. In this way you can design the menu and bet on healthier dishes and adjust the quantities better. If, on the other hand, you decide to keep your distance and keep the celebrations at home this year, you will have even easier time not to get fat at Christmas.
Buy the right thing
Plan the menu well before you go shopping, knowing exactly how many guests you will be and what you will be cooking is a key factor. The first thing you should do before going shopping is to calculate how much food will be needed for everyone to be satiated but without large amounts left over.
This is very important when it comes to sweets and alcohol. If you want to avoid that another year, the leftover powder lasts until summer, measure what you buy (the less the better). The ideal is that they are completely sold out when we have visitors, so you avoid having to consume them outside the indicated dates.
Limit snacks
Appetizers often contain large amounts of salt and that makes you eat and drink in excess, increasing your sense of hunger. If your family is one of those who fills the table with multiple options, without leaving room for more dishes, play your cards right.
Some choices are healthier than others, so it’s best to give up sausages and fried foods and replace them with pickles, preserves or seafood. If you are the host, you can opt for vegetable crudités or make homemade hummus.
Opt for baked vegetables and fish
As for the first and second courses, the healthiest options are vegetables and fish or baked meat. Typical Christmas dishes usually have large amounts of fat and protein, with vegetables being the most neglected.
A good option to survive Christmas without getting fat is to incorporate healthier side dishes. Salads as an accompaniment to meat or a good base of baked vegetables will help you reduce the calories on your menu.
For dessert, fruit
Marzipan, nougat in its many varieties, roscón, chocolates, panettone… Supermarket shelves are full of thousands of options to sweeten our desserts. But the best thing is to leave these desserts in the background and opt for much healthier options.
Fruit is a much healthier option and can become your great ally to banish sweets as the star of the dessert. With a fondue of varied fruits and melted dark chocolate you’ll have all your guests in the can. Another option is to opt for pineapple, a seasonal fruit that is very typical at this time of year.
Don’t skip your sports days
Keep up your daily sports routine even if the gym or centre you go to is closed for the holidays. You have multiple options: exercise at home, go to the park or to the beach… You just need discipline and motivation not to get carried away during these dates.
Besides, did you know that exercising first thing in the morning will help you reduce your appetite for the rest of the day?
Keep to your meal times: 5 five drinks and no fasting
Even if you eat more during these days, you should still make the 5 meals. When you fast to make up for the excess, you actually arrive at the next meal much hungrier and more anxious to eat.
If you can, try to keep to your usual mealtimes. It’s normal for Christmas meals to be delayed, causing you to overeat between meals.
Avoid tuppers
If you are the host, we have already mentioned how important it is to make the purchase with foresight. However, if you go to your family’s house as a guest, they may not have made that prevision of the menu and about a lot of food.
In this case, the usual thing is to distribute the leftovers among the relatives but you should avoid accepting the tuppers. Whether they are sweet or main dishes, it’s best not to go into the delivery as these dishes are usually very caloric. As we mentioned, excesses only during the holidays, in the intermediate days try to follow your usual diet.