How to enjoy the holidays without ruining all your progress?
Most of the time, we hear about detox after the festive season, but it’s even more important to prepare your body beforehand.
Reduce your intake
You can start reducing your calorie intake a few days before the start of the festivities.
You can start a week before by reducing your portion size and in particular your carbs intake. Prioritize vegetable soup and don’t forget to add a source of protein which will increase satiety.
It will enable you to enjoy the holidays without feeling guilty.
Drink enough Water
Excessive alcohol consumption leads to dehydration which will cause fatigue and headache, even with a small amount of alcohol.
During the day, aim for 1,5L of water which will help your liver process everything which is not a minor factor during the festive season.
Drink 1 glass of water between each glass of alcohol
And don’t wait to be thirsty to drink water.
Try Intermittent fasting
What is it?
This method is divided into 2 periods during 24h:
The fast last between 12 and 16h and you can eat your meals the rest of the day.
It is relatively easy to put it into practice during the festive season to avoid a calorie intake too high.
If your last meal finish at 9pm, skip breakfast and have your first meal of the day at around noon which will give you enough time to respect your fasting period.
Have a light meal for lunch which will include a big portion of vegetable and a source of protein to make sure that you will get all the nutriments you need before a diner that will contain more fat, carbs and also alcohol.
Don’t forget to stay hydrated during the fasting period.
Please note that intermittent fasting is not for everyone and is not advised for:
- People who had a surgery recently
- Elderly
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women
- People with cardiovascular disease
- Children
Stop at 95%
During this time, we usually eat more than what our body needs. To avoid an indigestion or feeling sick it’s important to know when to stop eating.
Usually, in order to lose weight, we should stop eating at 80% before feeling full. But it’s more difficult to follow this rule during the holiday period. Try to stop at 95%, which is just before not feeling hungry anymore.
Listen to your body and your signs of hunger to avoid overeating, eat a little bit of everything in small portions.
Enjoy!
Nonetheless, for your well-being, don’t forget to celebrate and enjoy this time with your family and friends and eat and drink with moderation!