1. Limit alcohol intake
Too much alcohol may increase your appetite making you consume extra calories you don't need. Sugary beverages contain "empty calories," which offer no nutritional value.
Tip:
Try alternating water between drinks to still have a drink in your hand, but to avoid an excessive intake of unwanted calories, to stay hydrated and to not be tempted to get another glass of wine.
2. Eat a small meal before a gathering
Arriving partly famished helps you not snack as much on those high calorie appetizers.
3. Avoid temptation
Bake holiday treats a few days in advance before they are needed in order to resist temptation to eat the entire batch of gingerbread cookies before the big holiday festivities.
4. Have protein at each meal
Having a top quality protein source at every meal, such as lean turkey or fish, allows for your body to breakdown fat due to the release of a hormone called glucagon.
5. Go green!
According to Canadian Living magazine drinking green tea daily has been shown to increase metabolic rate and speed up fat oxidation. It is also loaded with disease-preventing antioxidants.
6. Avoid stress
The holidays can be stressful and the stress hormone released can stimulate weight gain and abdominal fat accumulation.
Tip:
Attend one of our many yoga classes at FloMotion Studio to help keep those cortisol hormone levels down and to help ease the tension of stress.
7. Stay hydrated
Avoid bloating and feel full longer by being hydrated with drinks such as water, herbal teas, and watered down natural fruit juices.
8. Modify your exercise routine
Don't fall off the health wagon and have the mentality "I will wait till the new year." Try to even increase your cardio workouts to burn off those excess calories you indulged in the night before.
Tip:
Attend FloMotion Studio's 12 Days of Christmas BootCamp running 12 days consecutively, excluding weekends, from 6-7 am. Starts Monday December 5, 2011!
9. Healthier meals and treats
Often holiday meals and baked goods are filled with fat and calories. Try a healthier alternative to still get the same great taste, without the expense of calorie intake.
10. Slow down
Eat your meals and snack slower and in a relaxed state to feel more full. According to the Canadian Living magazine it takes a minimum of 20 minutes for your stomach to register a "full" sensation and signal to your brain that you are full.
