The holiday season is almost upon us and with that comes Christmas parties and family dinners that can easily derail your weight loss plans. Here are 5 simple tips to avoid winter weight gain.
Losing weight is never easy. Have you cut back on the sugary treats and are attending more fitness classes, but aren’t seeing the weight loss results you want? Then there are probably some undesirable habits you are overlooking, including:
- you’re not spending enough time moving (eg. you have an office job)
- you’re overestimating how much exercise you’re doing
- you’re underestimating how much you’re eating
- your portion sizes are too big
Customised Nutrition and Weight Loss Programs in Calgary
Our Dreambody programs offer you customised nutrition and weight loss programs to help you achieve all your fitness and weight loss goals. Whether you’re looking to tone up or shed some serious pounds, we can help you do this in a safe, sustainable, and fun way!
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Stick To Your Weight Loss Goals: 5 Ways to Avoid Winter Weight Gain
Winter can wreak havoc on our fitness and weight loss goals. Temperatures are dropping, making exercising less desirable, and diets often shift from salads to holiday treats and heavy soups. But don’t fret!
While it may seem impossible to stay on track during the colder season, sticking to your weight loss goals this winter can be achieved by following these 5 simple steps:
1. Plan Ahead
If you’re serious about maintaining your weight loss efforts this holiday season, then it’s crucial to plan your workouts and meals every day. To ensure you’re not at the mercy of leftovers, sweet treats, or happy hour drinks on an empty stomach, you should set aside time for:
- grocery shopping
- prepping food
- cooking your meals for the week ahead
Don’t be afraid to say no! One of the best ways to stay on track this winter is by remembering that if someone offers you a food/drink that isn’t in your predetermined meal, it’s okay to say no!
2. Be Gentle on Yourself
So you ate something you didn’t plan on having that day? Don’t beat yourself up! The best thing you can do is adjust your program and get back on track for your next meal. Some of the ways to counteract this unexpected eating include:
- upping the intensity of your workout
- trimming your carbs in half at dinner time
- skipping your evening snack
Be kind to yourself. One meal isn’t going to derail you from your weight loss goals so don’t get discouraged! Just start fresh with your next meal.
3. Be Wary of Open Bars
Parties are one of the best things about the holiday season but did you know that drinking alcohol packs a triple punch when it comes to interfering with weight loss? This is because:
- alcohol stimulates your appetite
- lowers your inhibitions
- makes you more likely to eat fatty, fried, or salty foods
What you should do: Try to avoid alcohol at parties if you can, or if you are going to have 1-2 drinks, DON’T do it on an empty stomach. Skipping meals throughout the day to save yourself calories for drinking often backfires and leads to overeating.
Remember to pre-plan the number of drinks you’ll have and deduct those calories from your daily total.
4. Don’t Skimp on Your Sleep
Whether it’s the parties, shopping, cooking, or cleaning, most people tend to sleep less during the holiday season, but try not to do this! With sleep deprivation comes cravings, especially for high-calorie and sweet foods.
What to do: Determine how you can delegate some tasks to give yourself some downtime and don’t be afraid to say no to some of those numerous holiday parties.
5. Recommit to Your Goals
Passing on treats every day can get tiring so to stay motivated, remind yourself why you are following your weight loss and fitness program, whether it’s to feel better, improve your confidence, or reverse any health problems.
Seeing these reminders will help keep you motivated so try to carry them with you on a sticky note, or put them in a digital calendar with a daily pop-up message, to keep you going.
Call Today
To find out how our personal trainers can help create a customised nutrition and weight loss program to help you stay on track to your fitness goals this winter, contact our Calgary gym at 403-612-3538 or fill in our online contact form.
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