How not to gain weight at Christmas – 6 proven tips
Ahead of us is the unique, eagerly awaited and most delicious Christmas of the year. Shortly afterwards, New Year’s Eve awaits us. We want to look stunning in the outfit of our dreams. So how do you survive Christmas without denying yourself your favourite dishes, but also without putting on extra pounds?
How not to gain weight at Christmas – tips from the Fitatu® dietician
1. Respect the feeling of satiety
A full table screams to try everything and then lie belly up, right? Only are you sure you’ll feel good after such a folly? It can be hard, and literally so. Therefore, eat slowly until you feel satiated. This way, you won’t overeat and in 3-4 hours you will be able to indulge in another meal without any unpleasant consequences for your stomach and liver. Don’t worry, there will certainly be enough food for you.
By adopting this strategy, you must mentally prepare yourself for encouragement from your family: “Well, eat some more! After all, I’ve cooked so much!”. Stop: You are an adult and you decide if and when you feel hungry. Tactfully but firmly set boundaries. Remember that there are other forms of showing thanks, love and gratitude than food.
2. Don’t overdo it with alcohol
How not to gain weight at Christmas? A glass or two of wine with dinner is not a crime, but don’t forget that alcohol is also a calorie. And ones that don’t provide nutritional value to your body. If you’re going to feel the need to drink something that tastes like alcohol, consider consuming non-alcoholic beer or non-alcoholic wine. They can mimic the taste of your favourite drinks really well, yet they have far fewer calories and don’t stimulate your appetite.
3. Don’t snack between meals
Food that has been on the table all evening provokes you to “nibble” some more. Stop, and ask yourself first if you really feel hungry. If not, wait another hour or two. Walk away from the table if it makes it easier for you to avoid snacking. If you’re worried that you won’t have enough of your favourite dish, ask the host to put a portion away for later.
4. Don’t waste calories on foods you don’t really enjoy
It’s never the case that all Christmas dishes are the favourites you look forward to all year. Opt for the dishes you like best and enjoy them with pleasure, but with common sense. Leave the foods that don’t make you happy and that you eat every day (such as bread) for after Christmas.
5. Plan your meals
You may be planning your meals every day, so why not do it at Christmas too? You could set yourself a strategy and try all your favourite dishes in tasting portions at one meal. However, there is a risk that you don’t control yourself and instead of eating three dumplings, you end up eating ten. A better strategy may be to plan what you will eat for a specific meal e.g. lunch – dumplings, dinner – fish.
6. Get off the sofa!
How not to gain weight at Christmas? Remember to be physically active! It’s understandable that you want to relax on these festive days, but the movement is important. A family walk for an hour can be a nice diversion and will also help with digestion. Don’t give in to Christmas laziness and persuade your loved ones to get active. It’s easier to motivate yourself in a group than on your own.
What if I get fat?
We have good news: it is impossible to gain 5 kg of body fat in 3 days! Increased body weight after Christmas is mainly:
- excess food that has not yet been digested and is lodged in the digestive system,
- accumulated water,
- accumulated glycogen.
If you put on physical activity and a balanced diet again after Christmas, your body weight should return to normal after a few days. Therefore, do not be discouraged if you happen to “go wild”. Weight loss is a long-term process and you can afford to deviate along the way. The most important thing is to be able to get back on track afterwards.
Join a support group
If you know you need the motivation to control your appetite and get off the sofa over Christmas, join the “ENG: Lose weight without hunger or sacrifices using the Fitatu app 
” Facebook group. Surrounding ourselves with people with similar goals and experiences makes it easier to persevere and achieve our goals. Don’t hesitate and join the group now!
Fitatu® App
Download the app from the Play Store or Apple Store and start counting your calories with us! Now you can additionally use the code XMAS-H. Go to https://www.fitatu.com/app/order-and-payment and get 29% off your monthly Fitatu® Premium.