Christmas carols, presents, and copious amounts of food, glorious food are the highlights of the festive season. It is also the one day of the year where strict diets go out the window and are replaced with the enjoying of indulgent feasts, time and time again – but the weight gain afterwards is never as much fun as the eating part!
If you are worried about piling on the pounds post-Christmas celebrations, here are some steps you can take that will ensure you keep the weight off while indulging in the week-long celebrations starting from Christmas Eve right up to New Year’s Day. Who says you can’t tuck into Christmas feasts and still fit into that great outfit come New Year’s Eve?
Small Portions
Even if you love every food offered at Christmas, you can still avoid overeating. Keep portions small on every food item that you take. If you love Christmas punch, have a single glass. Take one cookie instead of four or five. Limit yourself to one plate of food, or small portions of calorie-rich foods, such as bread, desserts and mashed potatoes.
Don’t Go To A Party Hungry
Eat something healthy and somewhat filling before you head off to a party. This way you’re less likely to mindlessly snack on unhealthy food there.
Power Breakfast
Like any festive season, Christmas involves many a house visit for leisurely lunches. Make sure you tuck into a healthy, filling breakfast beforehand. You will feel fuller and less likely to overeat if you have something light and protein-heavy in the morning.
Remove the Skin from Your Turkey
Christmas lunch consists mainly of turkey, and extras that add up to large weight gain. Go heavy on the vegetables and make sure to remove the skin from your turkey, as that is where all the extra fat and calories are found. You’ll save around 50 calories per portion by doing this – space for other goodies!
Pick the Right Tipple
Try to drink no more than one alcoholic drink an hour and ideally no more than three drinks in an evening. Intersperse alcohol with mineral water or diet soft drinks to minimize the calorific effects of a cheeky drink. Single shots or a spirit mixed with a low-calorie tonic are much better options than sugary alcopops and lagers.
Go Green
Eat the veggies and low-fat cheese on the platters at Christmas parties. Go easy on any sort of cheese though as it tends to be high in fat; aged cheeses are usually a little bit lower in fat, but it’s always best to go green.
Be Picky With Leftovers
When it comes to leftovers, leave the roast potatoes alone and pick at the Brussels sprouts, carrots, or turkey. Turkey is a great food to snack on, as it fills you up more quickly than carbohydrates and “switches off” your hunger.
Hit the Protein
Grilled chicken and salmon are low in carbohydrates and high in protein, thus providing sustained energy – meaning you stay fuller for longer and wind up eating less overall. Win, win!
Snack Smart
Serve raw vegetables as snacks while waiting for the main meal to happen. Holiday meals usually take all day to cook, and can be a big family affair. Instead of chips and dips, snack on raw veggies instead.
Cheat Without Guilt
Allow yourself to eat as much as you want, which doesn’t necessarily mean stuffing yourself silly, more about enjoying the goodies without too many consequences. Two big meals on Christmas don’t spoil a year-long habit of healthy eating (if that’s what you have been doing this entire time, that is).
Leftover Lunches
When all of the presents are unwrapped and all the relatives have returned home, you’re left with a kitchen full of leftovers. The question that might play on your mind though is what else can be done with all the Christmas leftovers? There are countless dishes you can prepare with this food, but often we just can’t think beyond turning them into a sandwich to satisfy our hunger. Here are some tips to give you that post-Christmas culinary inspiration, which is easy on the waistline:
- Potato Cakes
Take mashed potatoes and add onion, pepper, eggs, and flour to create a versatile patty that will complement meat and veggies. At 80 calories per small cake, you won’t feel guilty devouring them. - Portobello Mushrooms with Stuffing
Portobello mushrooms have a slightly savoury flavor that blends easily with cornbread, onions, and other common stuffing ingredients. Roast these babies with your leftover Christmas stuffing for a low-calorie treat. - Mocha Chocolate A La Paris
Tempted by the gourmet chocolates? Add them to your hot drink. Any bittersweet chocolate will do, and the addition of coffee provides an extra kick to your otherwise mundane drink.
Homepage highlight photo credit: Andrea Goh, Flickr
Source: The Expat December 2013
Read more:
What are your thoughts on this article? Let us know by commenting below.No registration needed.
"ExpatGo welcomes and encourages comments, input, and divergent opinions. However, we kindly request that you use suitable language in your comments, and refrain from any sort of personal attack, hate speech, or disparaging rhetoric. Comments not in line with this are subject to removal from the site. "
