Twelve Days until Christmas Countdown: Day 7
Christmas; the season of family, happiness, good TV and eating LOTS of food. This is the time of year when any diet becomes… what diet!? The average Brit eats an extra 3000 calories on Christmas day and can gain up to 4lbs during the festive season, 34% of whom are still desperately struggling to shed those pounds all the way through until Easter*.
From Christmas dinner, to work parties, to family get-togethers, food is unfortunately the centrepiece of all celebrations. But it doesn’t have to be like that; the change in routine can provide a perfect time to get fit, not fat this Christmas. The Slimming Clinic can help you achieve your weight loss goals quickly and effectively. Read The Slimming Clinic’s daily three top tips on cutting out calories, keeping fit and cooking healthy meals for the twelve day countdown to Christmas…
1. Diet: You’re at a Christmas party, a gorgeous buffet is laid out in front of you, but you don’t want to ruin all of your hard work OR look like a party pooper. Follow these brilliant buffet rules to keep on track:
- Allow yourself six mouth fulls – pick carefully what they’ll be, and indulge in the choice rather than the quantity.
- If you don’t really love it – don’t eat it.
- If you put 2 spoon fulls on your plate at one point, then go up three times – it may feel like your eating more, and thus help change your mindset from deprivation to satisfaction.
- Try only new foods and skip the same old options that you can cook at home.
2. Fitness: At the work Christmas party this year, be the first one shaking your way onto the dance floor. The more you put into your dance moves the more you’ll get out – through a higher calorie burn and higher enjoyment levels.
3. Healthy Recipe: Roast parsnip & chestnut salad (131 calories & 3g fat per portion)
Ingredients:
- 500g parsnips, quartered
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200g pack cooked and peeled whole chestnuts
- 2 rosemary sprigs, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp clear honey
- 140g bag mixed salad leaves (we used watercress, rocket & spinach)
Method:
- Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. On a baking tray, toss the parsnips with 2 tsp of the oil, season and roast for 20 mins. Remove from the oven and stir through the chestnuts and rosemary, then drizzle over the honey and roast for 10-15 mins more. Leave to cool.
- Toss the leaves with the remaining oil and some seasoning, and pile onto a serving plate. Top with the parsnips, chestnuts and any juices from the tray.
To read more on this recipe click here.
The Slimming Clinic operate 27 clinics nationwide, specializing in medical weight loss and cosmetic treatments. They are the UK’s largest chain of specialist medical weight loss clinics.
* Statistics found on 01/12/2014 from source: http://www.womanandhome.com/galleries/diet-and-health/34798/1/0/how-to-keep-the-pounds-off-over-christmas#k0tyrW3QIKIk55AC.99