Holidays are a time to enjoy and relish. With the fun and the laughter comes the holiday belly! The Christmas tree, Christmas decorations, Christmas gifts are as special as the Thanksgiving turkey and the Christmas Fruit cake. Most people gain significant weight from all the festive feast which, unfortunately, sticks around permanently.
The six-week stretch between Thanks-giving Day and New Year’s is a time to relish on carbs and sweets. Nothing is to blame; it is difficult to resist irresistibly delicious fare and add to it the unconditional extended family love visible while heaps of carbs and sweets are served on our plates. Difficult to say no!
This calorie fest is for real! The entire food pushes you back by almost 4,000 calories. And burning those do take months altogether!
The Harsh Reality
Ever wondered when does the holiday belly and the weight gain start? The answer is mid-November. According to a study finding, the spike in calories begins as the festive season hits our bodies. Come New Years and it is at its peak when you have gained the maximum calories and weight.
It is a season to be happy and often makes you overeat, and be merry. Studies indicate that between mid-November and mid-January, an average person gains almost .5 kg. Though .5Kg does not look like a lot, even this weight is tuff to shed.
Why do we gain so much weight?
The secret behind gaining all the weight is the festive season when most of the people do not want to track their intake, especially the delectable lavish spread. Here are the reasons behind that holiday belly-
- Family Gatherings: Festive season kick starts with family gatherings and good food.
- Once a year event– In most of the eating binges you end up eating more since it is the year-end and saying a no would sound rude to the people around.
- Traditional Takeaways: It’s a tradition to bake, and eat together. It’s a yearly event when every-one comes together and shares the good times.
Though small, the gains may take years to shed, and excessive weight does no good. It causes major medical problems like heart disease, certain types of cancer and diabetes to name a few.
Curbing the Menace
Is there any secret behind that magical weight loss diet? Simple steps help, especially when the festive season with fewer exercise regimes around the corner-
Wise Snacking
So, before you are venturing out for that happening party, here is a quick tip. Before the binge, snack on fruits, nuts and seeds. These are filling snacks without any added sugars or unhealthy fats that do the harm. This is the first step to a fat loss diet.
Fibre is important
Increased dietary fibre reduces total calorie intake. This is an important step to losing weight without dieting increase your intake of whole grains, dark green leafy veggies, nuts and pulses.
Small meals are the Key
An average of 5-6 meals a day contributes to the diet to lose belly fat. Frequent meals which are light to the stomach is ideal to curb your appetite, increase metabolism adding up into burning calories.
Catch that Pillow
Sleep deprivation, a very common habit during the holidays, maybe the culprit behind weight gain. Surprised? Sleeping tight for 7-8 hours is important to rest those aching muscles. Research shows those who do not sleep enough are a lot hungrier, consume more calories and even end up skipping exercises. A not so pleasant sight!
Family and Social Time is important
The holiday season brings family time and the best way to spend the precious time is to go out, cook and bake together, play games outside and to walk and greet the neighbours. Do not indulge being a couch potato, watching TV and adding those calories.
Protein-rich Diet
Traditionally, holiday meals have been typically rich in carbs but do not add to any protein. It is important to add proteins in your daily meals (at least 1 ounce/ 25–30 grams of protein in each meal) as it adds up to muscle building and may be useful to maintain weight. A high protein diet plan for weight loss has always done wonders. Have you tried as yet?
Say No to Supplements
The weight loss process takes time. Whether you are focusing on stomach weight loss or want to lose weight in thighs it is not a matter of a day! In this quest, many people wish to speed up the process and are tempted to rely on weight loss supplements. Little are we aware that these supplements contain very hazardous ingredients. If you are still serious about adding supplements for a quicker result, do consider to consult your doctor first.
Check on Tasting Sprees
The holidays are all about good food and merry times. Along with good food comes the desire to taste them all. When good food is cooked and baked, taste-test is a common phenomenon. Do you know that this little taste test can add to calories?
In case you are still wondering, this can also lead to weight gain, because it is quite tempting to taste-test the lovely Christmas cake, or the pies. Small bites of that freshly made cookies can lead to adding calories and thus the weight gains!
Drink Water
Do you know that drinking water makes you feel full? In case you are still wondering, some studies suggest that sipping water before that good fat meal is –indeed good for your health as it gives you a feeling of been full so that you don’t end up overeating.
The golden rule is to exercise. So, whether it is yoga, or cycling walking some daily activity always does the trick. Exercise to reduce belly fat is what we all aim at. Tracking vitals is equally important and an effective way to track is through the Gigadocs app.
- Gigadocs helps you to track your vitals and share live with your doctor, in case of any emergencies.
- Book a doctor’s appointment on a single click, based on your choice according to your location preference, speciality, service or area preference.
To know more how Gigadocs can help you maintain your health, and keep your health records safe, reach out to Gigadocs today.
