Did you know, on average people consume almost three times their daily calorie allowance on Christmas day?
Don’t worry! You can still enjoy the day and indulge in your Christmas dinner without gaining extra pounds.
Here at The Slimming Clinic we believe losing weight shouldn’t be about restricting yourself. With a few simple swaps you’ll not only feel satisfied after your Christmas dinner, but also proud of yourself that you’ve not completely blown your diet.
It all begins with breakfast…
So you’ve probably heard us say how important breakfast is before, and this especially applies to Christmas day. This will help to keep you full until your Christmas dinner so you won’t want any of those mid-morning chocolates that were in your Christmas stocking.
You can still have a fancy breakfast; it is Christmas day after all!
Swap that greasy bacon sandwich with white bread for some smoked salmon and poached eggs with wholemeal toast. It’s high in protein and omega 3 so it’s an excellent way to start your day.
The main event…
So it’s time for the big Christmas dinner.
For a light starter, that’s low in calories but high in protein try giving melon and Parma ham a go. This will save you a lot of calories compared to pate or salmon mousse.
When loading up your plate, opt for the healthy options first. That way you’ll have less room for more calorific items.
Luckily roast dinners, especially Christmas dinners, have a lot of different vegetables to choose from. Steam your vegetables rather than cooking them in oil or butter to save yourself extra calories and fat.
Traditional Christmas dinners are often roast turkey, which is a perfect meat when watching your weight. It’s low in fat and high in protein. The breast is the leanest part of the turkey and if you remove the skin you can save around 50 calories.
Potatoes are often people’s favourite part of a Christmas dinner, but at 149 calories in an average portion they aren’t the healthiest way of cooking potatoes. Try boiling new potatoes for a healthier alternative.
Keep an eye on the added extras! Cranberry sauce, bread sauce and white sauce can quickly add a lot of sneaky calories onto your plate that are easy to forget about. Try to stick to gravy where possible, and don’t forget to drain the fat first when making your own gravy.
Selective snacking…
You’re likely to be snacking all day if there’s chocolates, biscuits, cheese and crackers and much more laid out.
The best thing you can do is to simply put all the snacks away. Or just get it out for short periods if you’ve got hungry family and guests to satisfy. You’ll be much less tempted to snack if they food isn’t on constant display.
Time for a tipple…
We understand it’s hard to stay away from alcohol for the whole day.
Try to hold out on the drinks until after you’ve eaten as this will help to slow down the absorption of the alcohol in your body. A good tip to try is to alternate between soft drinks and alcoholic drinks throughout the evening, especially water. This will help to keep you hydrated and at no extra calories. *
And remember that Christmas isn’t all about food!
As much as food does seem like a big part of the festive period, remember it is also a great time for spending time with family and friends. So instead of slouching on the sofa picking on chocolates and biscuits, after your Christmas dinner why not head outside for a winter walk with your loved ones.
If you feel like you need extra help when it comes to your weight loss journey over the Christmas period, The Slimming Clinic have many treatments to offer including our SlimSlim Slimming Aid to help suppress appetite and hunger and our Carb Blockers which reduces the absorption of carbohydrates in the body.