Weight Loss : Top Tips For A Healthy Festive Season

6:30 AM Posted by Deepak

If you’re fearful of gaining weight over the festive season, you’re not alone. We’ve all been there: the endless supply of chocolates, Buck’s Fizz on Christmas morning, wine during dinner, Christmas cake, pudding and all the extra trimmings. Although the festive period is a time for kicking back and relaxing, it doesn’t mean you should let it all go and eat every mince pie that comes your way.

Did you know that in the UK we eat up to 6,000 calories on Christmas day alone? Add to that the constant snacking and drink refills, it’s easy to see why people may put on up to 2kg of extra weight over the festive season. So, what can you do to stay healthy this Christmas?

A healthier Christmas dinner
A few changes to your Christmas dinner could help keep your daily calorie intake at a healthier level.
•   Try salmon or melon for a starter or a vegetable soup for lighter calorie options.
•   Turkey is low in fat and a healthy option, but steer clear of the skin as it contains saturated fat and more calories.
•   Eat your greens – vegetables contain lots of vitamins and nutrients and are low in fat, so feel free to enjoy your sprouts.
•   Roast potatoes are often saturated with cooking oil – try using vegetable or olive oil instead of lard or fat and cut them into large chunks as they absorb less fat than small ones. Also, leave the skins on to keep more of the fibre and vitamins in your roast potatoes.
•   Pick your pudding – choose one dessert, whether it’s Christmas cake, pudding, cheese or a mince pie, rather than helping yourself to several. One mince pie can contain up to 250 calories!
And don’t forget the seasonal snacks; satsumas are traditional stocking fillers and contain lots of vitamin C. But if you prefer savoury snacks, opt for popcorn or chestnuts, rather than salted peanuts, crisps and high-fat dips.

Keep an eye on alcohol
The Department of Health recommends not regularly drinking:
•   more than 2 to 3 units for women
•   more than 3 to 4 units for men
These guidelines don’t change just because it’s the holiday season. Keeping an eye on the sherry or whatever your favourite Christmas tipple is, can help you stay in control of what you’re drinking and save you calories and a sore head in the morning. Whether it’s at home or at a party, try the following tips to make sure you’re drinking sensibly .
•   Alternate your alcoholic drinks with a soft one, drink spritzers or try making a mocktail.
•   Make sure you’re not drinking alcohol on an empty stomach – eating before and during drinking may help slow down how quickly your body absorbs the alcohol.
•   If you’re hosting a party this year, keep water glasses topped up, use small wine glasses and serve low-alcohol drinks.

Check your weight
One way to tell if you’re a healthy weight for your height is by measuring your body mass index (BMI). BMI is calculated as your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in metres. You can find out your BMI using this BMI calculator .

BMI ranges may vary for different ethnic groups, but they can help show whether you need to lose weight, gain weight or maintain your weight. Several factors, such as your family history and ethnic origin, can affect your weight; however, what you eat and drink and how active you are is just as important. To do this, you need to balance the amount of calories you take in with what you burn off each day – this can be tricky over the festive season.

Exercise – no excuses!
It’s fine to snooze in front of the TV on Christmas afternoon, but what about going for a family walk to a local beauty spot too – perhaps in the morning or walking off your turkey dinner? Christmas is a time for being with your nearest and dearest, so why not make the most of it? We may not be guaranteed snow to make a snowman, but there are plenty of outdoor activities you can do over the festive break. Take the kids ice-skating, go for a bike ride or walk around a Christmas market. If it’s a bit too cold to go outside, play with your kids, work out to an exercise DVD, or visit the heated swimming pool at your local gym (just make sure to check their Christmas timetable).

The recommended healthy level of physical activity is 150 minutes of moderate exercise over a week. Although Christmas can be a very busy time, you can do this in bouts of 10 minutes or more, so there’s always time to fit some physical activity into your day.

What happens after Christmas?
The great thing about the majority of festive food, such as Christmas cake and brandy butter, is that they usually only make a guest appearance at Christmas. You won’t be tempted to eat them all year round. Unfortunately, it’s not quite the same with chocolates and other treats, especially when you notice them on offer in your local supermarket after the initial Christmas rush. Just as it’s important not to over-stock the cupboards with treats beforehand, don’t be tempted to stock up on some sweet treats in the sales – these are full of sugar and calories that will see your weight sky rocket into Easter.

So keep up the good work and continue to choose healthier food. And, make sure you stay active – don’t forget that physical activity is a key component of maintaining a healthy weight too.

A happy and healthy New Year
Hopefully we’ve shown you that with a bit of preparation for the celebrations ahead, you can enjoy the festive season without getting to New Year’s Day feeling the weight (literally) of starting an exercise regime and healthy diet – you’re already doing it! It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy all the treats you love about Christmas, but keeping an eye on what you’re tucking in to and making (ahem) room for some physical activity will help you establish a healthy set of habits not just for Christmas, but into the New Year and beyond.

Citations:

Rachale Titheborne-Martyn lives in Hampshire, Winter is her favourite season. She produced this content in association with Bupa e-health health information.

Tags: christmas, health, weight loss, wellbeing

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