Have Yourself a Healthy Holiday
Have Yourself a Healthy Holiday
November 12, 2014 at 5:21 PM
We've put together some useful tips to help you maintain your healthy diet and lifestyle through the holiday season. Be on the lookout for parts two and three soon.
It's already that time of year again! It's time for the holidays and as we know, they can be difficult when trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. The holidays are all about spending quality time with friends and family as well as celebrating all we are thankful for. This time frame is also full of parties, food, and stress; leaving us with little time for exercise.
I recently read a scary fact claiming that the average American gains between 7 to 10 pounds from October to February. Does this sound unbelievable? Good, because this is a myth. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the average weight gain from mid-November to mid-January is less than 1 lb. The study reported overweight and obese individuals were likely to gain a little bit more weight around the holidays compared to those at an average weight. Even so, less than 10% of the participants in the study gained 5lbs or more. The same study also concluded that this excess weight was never lost throughout the following year. One pound of weight gain may not seem like a lot, but over the course of a few years, the pounds add up.
So, the question becomes, how can we maintain, or even lose weight during this holiday season? The simplest answer is to skip all the parties and dinners, but, obviously, this isn't really feasible. It would be unrealistic not to indulge in some holiday treats this year, we just have to be sure that we do so in moderation. In relation to eating and dieting portion control is the most important part of any healthy diet. Moderation simply means not eating until you feel sick. It is all about portion control. You should never eat to the point where you can no longer button your pants, like you may have felt in previous years. To avoid this, here are some tips to help you during all your upcoming holiday feasts.
Make sure to check back for our next blog focused on how to eat at parties. If interested you can check out our healthy holiday party articles below for more tips!