Skip to content
Holidays, holidays and after... good habits, resolutions and figure! So much work all year round, a developed diet, training plans, eye-pleasing effects, and then a few days - for the lucky ones who take seasonal vacation, even a dozen or so! - and a new, heavier figure looms in the mirror. Let's add that holiday mass has little to do with muscle mass. How not to gain weight during the Holidays?
It would seem that our holiday table is groaning under dishes whose calorific value and composition are pure pangs of conscience. However, from a dietary point of view, at Christmas we do not have exceptionally fattening or hard to digest dishes, but simply abundantly served and very numerous.
Even if there is no competition in your home about who will eat twelve dishes this year, and a dish also includes e.g. horseradish served with fish, there is a good chance that you will overeat. First: how to say no to dishes that we usually eat only at this special time. Second: how to say no to all our family members who have meticulously prepared the feast and demand consumption on holidays. Third: how to say "no" to the proverbial "cheesecake", especially the third one in a row.
We will not persuade you to adopt a holiday regime. Great sacrifices during the holidays do not make sense, because a) we do not celebrate to mortify ourselves, b) tightening our belts sharply during this special time can end with double the appetite later, because our psyche likes to compensate for losses and naturally seeks to relieve any pressure. In other words: enjoy food, but wisely!
Below are some tricks that will help you snack smarter, reduce the burden on your digestive system and improve digestion.
- Healthy proteins
Our holidays are very floury. Christmas Eve, traditionally vegetarian, is often based on dishes rich in carbohydrates and gluten. Let's not kid ourselves - if we eat our fill of uszka, pierogi, kutia, all kinds of dumplings or challah, and repeat this operation for several days in a row, we will certainly cover our carbohydrate needs, but with a large surplus. This surplus, considering the average level of activity during the holidays, has little chance of recharging our muscles. Look more kindly at dishes rich in protein - they will fill your stomach faster and satiate you for longer. Herring served as an appetizer in many homes is an excellent protein boost, as are all fish that come to the table as a main course. See if you can't tilt the calorie balance a little in favor of proteins this year - there is a chance that you will eat less than usual.
- Choose the star of the evening
We know that you probably won't be able to avoid mixing everything with everything else - that's what Christmas is all about, after all. But we all have our favorite Christmas flavors. What if we agreed that this year you're going to be strategic? If you love pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms, and that's what you're looking forward to the most, make some room for them. Limit the other dishes so that you don't feel an unpleasant burden after the pierogi debauchery.
- Leisurely
Nothing new, but it's always worth repeating - the smaller the bites you take into your mouth, the longer you chew them, the greater your chance of feeling the signal of satiety at the right moment and the longer you enjoy each dish. Don't rush - you run ahead at an incredible pace all year long. Allow yourself to enjoy the moment, food and company, exchange a word with those you usually see rarely or in passing.
- Hydrate and improve your digestion
The simplest trick in the world – drink water. A few sips before a meal and between courses will effectively bring the feeling of satiety closer. For those who think drinking water on Christmas is absurd, tea will be a good solution. Green, red or mint, drunk after a meal, will help facilitate digestion. The master of improving the functioning of the digestive system is the Christmas classic in the form of dried fruit compote. Yes, grandmothers and aunts were right, it really works.
- Skip your workout, but go for a walk instead
Making an appointment with yourself to do your regular workout on Christmas morning is pretty crazy. You don't have to live it up on Christmas, really. The only important thing is not to spend those few days completely lying on the couch. Especially this year, when the activity of many of us, due to remote work, has been reduced to a minimum, it's worth sticking your head out of the house and going for a walk. Choose the time you like the most or adapt to the weather, disappear from everyone's radar for a moment or take a bigger team with you, go for a walk or plan a nice goal - whatever you decide, just get up and go for at least 30 minutes. Movement in the fresh air will help you digest and burn at least some extra calories.
[products=2635,2608]
