Christmas is such a wonderful opportunity to catch up with loved ones and friends you’ve not seen for a while, meaning our diaries often look fuller than Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve.
When Christmas comes around, it can be worrying that our weight loss journey might be hindered from all the food and alcohol fuelled social events and parties. However, there is no reason that you can’t head into 2020 a slinkier version of yourself!
The best way to start when it comes to socialising is to think about how you want to feel in the new year. Do you want to look and feel better and have more confidence as you’ve made better choices over the festive period?
This mindset change can help when making decisions about what to eat and drink when you are out and about. Our weight loss diet tips can help you stay slim whilst socialising over Christmas, ensuring you feel as confident as possible in the new year whilst managing to have fun!
Plan ahead
Losing weight over Christmas can be more challenging when there is lots of yummy food to be had. One of the best ways to maintain your weight loss diet is to plan ahead. If you’re heading to a restaurant for a meal, have a look at the menu online before you visit. Have a glance over the menu when you’re less hungry, maybe after lunch, and this could help you make better choices when you come to order later in the day.
Most restaurants also include their nutritional information online rather than on their printed menus, so it’s a great chance to see the healthiest dishes to choose from.
If you feel you want to, try and stick to one course. It’s easier said than done when others are indulging in two or even three courses around you, but it is a great test of willpower and you’ll feel better for it when you’re not really full in bed later in the evening!
Go easy on the alcohol
Whilst it’s a harder time of year to avoid alcohol, there are better choices to be made. One of our biggest weight loss tips is to avoid sugary drinks like mulled wine and cider, as well as calorie-heavy drinks like Irish cream or egg-nog. To get the very best out of your weight loss journey, try sticking to low calorie mixers with clear spirits.
It’s also advised to stick within the recommended daily units of alcohol* (2-3 for women and 3-4 for men) per day and try to alternate any alcoholic drinks with sugar-free soft drinks and water to stay hydrated.
*Please note patients prescribed PH/DP cannot consume alcohol.
Don’t skip meals, skip unhealthy snacks
If you are heading out for a few social drinks or a dinner, stick to your normal eating habits and patterns and don’t skip meals.
Skipping meals will make you hungrier later and more likely to choose less wisely than if you’ve maintained a normal eating pattern during the day.
Try to minimise the amounts of unhealthy snacks that you consume in the day and take your own snacks with you if necessary. The festive period is rife with high calorie nibbles like mince pies, chocolates and biscuits. Some of the best weight loss advice we can give is to carry your own healthy snacks. This can help your willpower enormously and stop you reaching for the naughtier treats so often.
Minimise the buffet blitzing
It’s pretty likely that at some point you’ll be faced with a buffet with lots of temptation on the table. If that’s the case, try not to sit facing or near the buffet – as you’ll end up eating more from it than you might have intended to.
Take time to browse the selection before putting things on your plate. Assess which options will be the healthiest for you and pop those on your plate first. Also, make sure you don’t pile your plate high – just because the food is little, it doesn’t mean it’s not easy to overeat and consume lots of calories. If you want to make the most of Christmas whilst maintaining weight loss, stick to one layer of food on your plate and once you’ve been up to the buffet, don’t go back for seconds or thirds.
Organise your own party
Why not consider hosting your own party at home? Invite over friends and family and try making the nibbles and food yourself! This way, you can control the food that is being served and stick to healthier options.
At the very core of all weight loss advice is the 80:20 rule. If you stick to this, you should go into the New Year a healthier and happier you! All you need to do is eat and drink healthily 80% of the time and treating yourself 20% of the time.
But above all…
Don’t give up! Whilst there are temptations everywhere during December, your willpower and determination is stronger than you think.
Imagine yourself stepping onto the scales at your next appointment maintaining, or even weighing less, during and after the Christmas period. What an amazing boost that would be for your mindset going into the new decade!
Don’t make your weight loss promise another forgotten New Year’s resolution, start now and feel better than ever going into 2020. Book your initial free consultation by contacting your local clinic to get started. For more weight loss tips and advice, stay up to date with our blog.