Here’s how to get through the crazy Christmas party season without having to add any new notches to your belt
Don’t worry; we’re not here to ruin your festive fun! In fact, all the tips and advice ahead are small and simple tweaks to how you can eat, drink and party over the Christmas period that will have zero impact on your good times, but a huge influence on how good you look and feel. So sit back and read on, then put our advice in action to have a fun-filled Christmas without gaining a Santa-sized stomach!
Good tidings we bring!
Before you dive into the guide we wanted to flag up something we think will help you get through December looking and feeling as good as possible. You see, many people look forward to Christmas not just for time off work, but because of the anticipation of eating and drinking whatever they want without having to move from the sofa.
It sounds great in theory, yet in reality over-indulging never makes us feel good, but the exact opposite: it always makes us feel terrible!
This means that we’re only excited by the anticipation of eating and drinking what we want, rather than the physical acts themselves! Once that sinks in it’s far easier to keep your urges in check. Why? Because you know that any potential or perceived pleasure will be hugely offset by hours of feeling stuffed or hungover. Treat yourself, sure, it is Christmas! But you don’t have to accept every opportunity to over-indulge. After all, the less weight you gain in December, the less you then have to lose in January!
To find your perfect transformation plan, take the New Body quiz!
Take the New Body quiz!
Is Christmas weight gain inevitable?
No, but many people do pack on the pounds in December because they consistently consume more daily calories than they burn. The damage is done by consuming far more food and drink than normal, and then exacerbated by much more time being sedentary so daily activity levels plummet. Say you eat 500 calories more than normal, but burn 500 fewer. That’s a 1,000-calorie swing in favour of weight gain, and only a few days like that (or even worse) can make a real difference to your waistline.
That’s not to say you need to start counting the calories you eat or tracking those you burn – who’s got time for that? – but if you think a bit more about what you’re eating, your portion sizes, and how much you’re moving you’ll stand less chance of gaining body fat.
Why did I pile on the pounds in the past?
For the very simple reason that you consumed more calories than you burned. Doing this for a couple of days, like Christmas Day and Boxing Day that revolve around food, is fine, and you’ll limit any weight-gain damage by taking a good walk or two to ramp up your energy expenditure. But the real problem arises when your consumption of calories far outweighs how many you burn over many days, or even weeks.
Getting into the “Christmas Spirit” from the start of December and not stopping until the New Year means you can consume thousands more calories than you body needs! This is why you might have spent January 1st in previous years standing on the scales dumbfounded by the number staring back at you. But this year is going to be different, without sacrificing your favourite treats, and all you need to do is keep reading!
How can I avoid weight gain this year?
The good news is that to stay in shape over Christmas don’t have to live like a saint throughout December – far from it! Here’s what you need to know!
To find your perfect transformation plan, take the New Body quiz!
Take the New Body quiz!