It seems as if health and weight loss goals come to a stop around this time of year. I guess with the loads of sugary treats wherever you go makes it hard to see numbers on the scale decrease.
From co-workers bringing cookies and other food temptations into the office to candy sales at the grocery store. It becomes a constant saying of, "I'll only have a little."
Sugar cravings have the capability to derail even the most determined individuals.
I enjoy the holidays and I do not believe a person should be under severe restriction at the expense of quality family time. But there are a few ways to both avoid and address those cravings while still keeping your diet on track.
Here are my top tips for managing your weight over the holidays.
Give in. Just a little! Sometimes the best thing to do is just enjoy just one or two of those goodies. High levels of deprivation can sometimes lead to an all out binge. Long term results will go south when binges begin. Planning out a pre-portioned sweet is a better option. Setting a time and knowing exactly what your daily treat is will help give you something to look forward to. This will help you not to go over board but it will also allow you to not feel deprived.
Keep your hunger in check. Plan a healthy meal or snack to eat every few hours. Waiting too long between meals could set you up to give in to whatever food temptations that come your way. When you are battling hunger then sugar cravings become hard to deal with. By keeping your hunger in check, it’ll be much easier to eat the way you planned and avoid high amounts of sweets.
Keep the goodies out of reach or replace it with a healthier option. The visibility of food can cause a significant increase of the consumption of that food. You are setting yourself up for failure if you leave the bowl of candy beside you for the entire day. Put it in some ziplock bags and place it in the pantry. I think fruit can be a great go to option for replacing some of the sugary favorites. Keeping a fruit bowl, mixed nuts or some of your favorite protein bars on hand is always a good idea during the holidays.
On average, most people add about 3-8 pounds of body weight during this time of year. It is not a real big percentage of total body weight but if you are already experiencing weight loss or maintenance hard ships why make it worse?
Maintaining or continuing to lose weight during a time of endless food temptations is tough. But if you work at it then you set yourself up for great success later.