If you're trying to lose weight or maintain weight loss, the upcoming holidays may be stressful. Watching what you eat is tough during the holiday season, with day after day of delicious foods and plentiful desserts.
Surviving the season without gaining weight is a feat — but it's not impossible. Dr. Jeff Toll offers weight loss tips and tools to keep you on track, including a few healthy indulgences along the way.
Dr. Toll provides various services at his practice, including primary care, health and wellness coaching, and telemedicine as part of his membership plan.
Any time of year is a tough time to lose weight – but it's even harder during the holidays. With parties, gatherings, and food everywhere you look, resisting the cravings for sweets and large plates of food is difficult.
Many people gain weight over the holidays for various reasons. Some struggle with portion control, while others indulge in too many desserts and holiday sweets. Yet others imbibe a lot of alcohol during parties and dinners.
The result is the scale tipping not in your favor, resulting in a scramble to lose weight in the new year. But it's not just the eating that causes problems – the stress of the busiest season of the year, along with not following your routine, also causes issues with weight management.
The key to losing or maintaining weight over the holidays is following a regular routine and allowing some indulgences, while choosing other healthy options.
Whether you're looking to maintain your weight or continue on a weight loss journey during the holidays, you have to follow some tips to stay on track. Maintaining a healthy mindset allows you to have a few indulgences while also choosing healthy options.
Dr. Toll offers the following holiday tips to help you make healthy choices this holiday season:
Staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water during holiday get-togethers is a great way to eat less and prevent weight gain. Filling up with water before an indulgent meal helps you eat less and eat mindfully.
Eating mindfully is the key to preventing holiday weight gain. Choose to bring a healthy meal to a dinner as a way to break up the heavy holiday foods often served. It's OK to enjoy a few treats, but do so in moderation.
Portion sizes can get out of control over the holidays, especially with large, fancy plates to fill. Watch for how much you take at a potluck or how much of what’s put on your plate you eat, especially with sweets, processed carbs, and unhealthy fats. Eat smaller portions to stay on track with weight management.
It's hard to exercise with the hustle and bustle, but it's necessary to create a calorie deficit with heavy meals. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day, even if it's cleaning the house or taking the dog for a walk to burn more calories.
Not many people can turn down a piece of pumpkin pie or holiday cookies that you only get once a year. However, indulging too much leads to weight gain and feelings of guilt. Enjoy a cookie or slice of pie, but choose healthy options the rest of the day.
Swapping ingredients is a great way to indulge in holiday favorites without the guilt. For instance, use a skinless turkey, or season your food with flavorful herbs instead of fatty butter. You can also use applesauce or yogurt for some of the fats in baked goods.
When filling your plate at a holiday dinner, focus on larger portions of vegetables and proteins and smaller portions of fats and carbs. Filling your plate this way helps you eat healthier and nutrient-dense calories instead of filling up on unhealthy foods.
Looking to stay healthy and fit throughout the holidays? If so, call or message our Los Angeles, California, office today to learn more about our weight loss services, including our health and wellness coaching.
