It is that time of the year again that we fall into a senseless craze to eat as much as we possibly can in a short amount of time called the festive season! We are bombarded by temptation to have lots of choice to eat and drink and be merry. We all want to set a great table for our family and friends. But did you know you can consume in excess of 6000-7000 calories during the Christmas Day! Many will not loose half of this weight and carry it into the New Year and probably keep piling extra weight on rolling in to the New Year.
I wanted this post to be about not telling you what to eat but rather putting in some strategies in place to stay in control while you enjoy this time of the year.
Intermittent fasting or time restricted feeding is a great way to stay on top of weight gain. You could restrict the time you eat all your food to an 8 hour window. So a very simple way to achieve this is to skip breakfast and then eat all you want between 12pm - 8pm, or you can choose which hours you want to keep the feeding window open. Fasing is fast becoming a trend in health circles and is a great way to initiate fat burning. Studies show you can consume the same amount of calories either by eating them through the day or in a restricted window. The second option is the way forward in terms of weight management as the continuous feeding has cause weight gain in high calorie groups.
It is so tempting to eat the mince pie, gingerbread biscuits and chocolate truffles. Sometimes the madness of eating will start in the morning with the unwrapping of the presents! Not to worry we all need a little sweetness in our lives. But if you want to stay in control you can do these swaps:
Piece of dark chocolate instead of chocolate truffle
A satsuma instead of Mince pie
A serving of nuts instead of caramel popcorn.
Tis the season to be merry. Drink a glass of water between each alcoholic drink to stay hydrated and not to over do on the alcohol. Always have something to eat before you consume alcohol so your body can handle the alcohol better. Let wine down with soda or fizzy mineral water, drink spirits in tall glasses watered down with lots of dilute fruit juice of kombucha!
Some my be already on an eating plan and on a weight loss journey and don't want Christmas dining to sabotaj the gains they have made in terms of weight loss. You would also want to eat some dessert to keep your family and friends happy and be part of the celebrations. Here are some healthy swaps to keep you on track:
Chocolate bark made with some dry fruit and nuts instead of chocolate pudding
Winter fruits poached in a honey and spice broth with natural yoghurt instead of Christmas pudding
Fruit Jelly instead of Christmas cake covered in icing. Or have the cake but leave the icing!
I hope you all have a lovely season and get what you wish for this Christmas. I you feel I may help you with your nutrition and health do get in touch in the New Year!
