Last Updated on May 22, 2023 by Michael Brockbank
With the holidays closing in, a lot of people are worried about putting on some winter weight. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, you can take steps to make sure you’re losing weight during the holidays without pills, fad diets or operations.
It all depends on self-control and motivation to stave off the extra pounds.
How I Keep Losing Weight During the Holidays
I still have 30 pounds to go before I reach my ultimate goal. And I plan to keep losing weight during the holidays even though I am a sucker for tasty goodness.
And I know I’m not the only one.
The fact is, you don’t have to resolve yourself to gaining weight this season. As long as you’re vigilant about what you put into your body and how you burn it off, it’s easy to keep losing weight during the holidays.
So, how do you go about making sure your weight doesn’t balloon before the end of the year?
Watch the Portion Sizes
The biggest contributor to my weight loss is watching the portion sizes. Too many people eat far more than they need to, and it winds up turning into fat.
For example, a $5 meal deal from Taco Bell is perhaps three meals worth of food. And most of us will eat it as an ordinary launch.
Most foods you find in a lot of restaurants actually contain far more than you need in a single sitting. Commercials are often shown to us depicting cheap ways to get a lot of food, but they don’t really go into what you’re really consuming.
Be mindful of your dining habits this season. Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean you need to pile it on your plate.
Portion control is vital to slimming down and keeping the weight off permanently. You need to rethink how you approach food.
Personally, I use the free app MyFitnessPal to watch my intake. It provides a pretty good idea of how much I can eat in a day. And since it’s connected to my Fitbit Charge 3, I also see where I stand in terms of calorie burn.
These two things combined has helped me lose 70 pounds so far.
Keep the Body Moving
The second step to losing weight during the holidays is making sure you get enough physical activity.
Now I don’t mean you need to sign up with a gym or attend morning aerobics every day. Physical movement can come in a variety of ways. It’s all about burning what you eat as fuel for the body.
Here are just a handful of methods I use to burn the calories throughout the winter:
- Do House Chores
Things like raking the yard, sweeping the porch, shoveling snow, mopping the floors and other chores can easily double as workouts. In most cases, you’ll burn more doing chores than you would walking for the same amount of time. - Play the Xbox Kinect
The Xbox Kinect is how I lost most of my weight. By really getting into the game, you can easily work up a sweat and burn a ton of calories inside 30 minutes. - Do Some Window Shopping
Window shopping can help burn the calories as you’re walking around looking for presents. It’s one of the reasons I don’t mind hanging out at a store with my friend even though I don’t have money to buy anything. - Sign Up for Winter Sports
Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to sign up for a winter league here in town. But it’s on my to-do list. Why not have fun while keeping your body in motion?
My point is that any physical movement that elevates the heart rate is going to help you in losing weight during the holidays. Even if you stand around on a street corner helping people by pushing their cars out of the snow, it’s all good.
In my case, I wake up and play about 30 to 40 minutes of the Xbox Kinect each morning. Not only does it help burn away the fat, but it also helps energize me for the day.
I feel far better on days when I play as opposed to those when I don’t. This is about getting the blood pumping and improving brain power and focus.
Practice Stress Reduction
Visceral fat accumulates when people are too stressed. And the holidays are some of the most stressful times of the year.
When people are overly anxious, the hormone cortisol is released in the body. This element contributes to the development of visceral fat in the midsection. This is why some people who work in high-stressed jobs are overweight in the abdominal area but not anywhere else.
It’s prudent to practice some stress reduction techniques if you want to curb some of that visceral fat from forming. For example, I often like to meditate or take a nice long and hot bath in the tub.
You can also exercise to relieve stress or eat specific foods to help reduce anxiety.
The point is you need to relax and not fret every situation that arises. Keeping your cool is good for your health.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep deprivation does a number on the human body. It affects everything from high blood pressure to outright hallucinations.
Not getting enough sleep will increase stress levels and reduce your capacity to be more physical. It also contributes to fat accumulation.
The average adult should get between seven and nine hours of rest each night.
I’m not saying you can sleep your weight away, but it will make it easier for losing weight during the holidays. Especially after a nice Thanksgiving dinner.
You Don’t Need to Put on Winter Weight
I don’t plan on putting on any weight. In fact, I am striving to be at my goal weight before Thanksgiving. There’s really no reason to pack on the pounds when surrounded by goodies and treats.
Eat in moderation and keep an eye on your intake versus output. You don’t need to sacrifice the tasty things as long as you don’t go overboard.[template id=”3591″]
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