Enjoy the holidays without gaining weight?
This is possible thanks to a few simple tips that are easy to implement.
Christmas: a 6,000 calorie day
During the holiday season, calories add up very quickly. Between champagne, foie gras toast and the pastry log, it is common to put on a few pounds during this period. According to researchers from the British National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the universities of Birmingham and Loughborough (United Kingdom), an individual consumes up to 6,000 calories on Christmas Day alone, or three times more than the recommended daily intake. Far from being trivial, these excesses lead to a significant increase in body weight over ten years (up to 1 kg per year).
These same researchers published a study in the British Medical Journal in which they give their advice for limiting weight gain during this tempting period. Participants who followed their recommendations for two consecutive years weighed an average of 0.49 kg less than participants who had maintained their habits.
The proof that it is possible to enjoy the holidays while remaining reasonable!
5 reflexes to take to avoid gaining weight during the holidays
Without getting frustrated and while having fun (it's still the purpose of the holidays), it is possible to limit weight gain.
Drink water without moderation
Here is the first reflex to adopt. Drinking between 1 and 1.5 liters of water a day is the best way to eliminate the toxins accumulated during the end of the year meals. Herbal teas, infusions, detox waters… Vary the pleasures to make your water consumption even more pleasant. Help yourself with draining plants that naturally contain active ingredients capable of promoting the body's elimination functions. Néomincil Draineur from Laboratoire Lescuyer is a food supplement that contains extracts of Pilosella , Ash and Meadowsweet , plants rich in active draining substances.
As for drinks, beware of alcohol! In addition to accentuating dehydration, cocktails and other glasses of wine contain a maximum of empty calories, ie uninteresting from a nutritional point of view. As a benchmark, a flute of champagne contains an average of 102 kcal. To avoid weight gain, try to limit your alcohol consumption to one drink a day during the holidays.
Choose low-calorie dishes
If Christmas is the season of chocolates and candied chestnuts, it is also that of seafood and shellfish. Oysters, prawns, scallops, lobsters… in addition to being tasty and very low in fat, these foods are rich in trace elements and good for our health. Vitamins B3, B6, B12, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, selenium, iodine, copper, zinc, manganese… The list of everything they bring us is long! As an aperitif, prefer a nice plate of seafood rather than industrial petit fours, which are too greasy and too salty. Provided of course to consume them without or with very little mayonnaise.
Once the meal has started, keep going. No problem tasting turkey or capon, as long as you remove the skin and accompany it with a good portion of vegetables and a little starch.
To help you manage your weight, consider Néomincil with Neopuntia from Laboratoire Lescuyer : this food supplement helps to capture fat and reduce the assimilation of calories.
The nopal ( Opuntia ficus-indica cactus ) also helps to limit the absorption of fast and slow sugars and promotes the feeling of satiety.
Eat slowly
Faced with all these festive dishes, it is tempting to taste everything and help yourself. Unfortunately, this is how you double the addition of calories at the end of a meal. To resist the call of the second round, eat slowly and put down your fork between each bite. Indeed, it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to send the signal of satiety to your brain. Taking the time to chew well also helps our digestion, which is often put to the test at this time of year.
To promote digestion, taking the dietary supplement BROMELAINE is recommended.
The food supplement CHLORONEL from Laboratoire Lescuyer can help you limit intestinal discomfort such as bloating.
Practice a physical activity
Between family dinners and evenings with friends, the end-of-year celebrations are like a real marathon. However, it is essential to continue to put on your sneakers to practice regular physical activity . Without necessarily spending hours in the gym, a daily 30-minute walk already brings significant benefits to the body. Organize an outing to the ice rink, plan a small dance floor to wiggle your hips after the meal... There are many ways to exercise while having fun! Also, remember to get up and move every two hours, especially when meals drag on. When sitting, our muscles are inactive. However, it is the activity of the muscles which is the main consumer of glucose and lipids.
Have a snack with dinner
Deprive yourself all day to save room for dinner? Bad idea ! It's the best way to throw yourself on the buffet and multiply the excesses. It is better to have a protein snack in the middle of the day (a bowl of fromage blanc accompanied by fresh fruit, a hard-boiled egg, a slice of ham on wholemeal bread, etc.) to avoid overeating in the evening.
Even the days that follow, avoid skipping meals. Eat fruits and vegetables, drink broths... Put your digestive system to rest without depriving and disrupting your body.
Will you gain weight if you eat 3 times a day?
Since eating more frequently doesn't boost your metabolism, it likewise doesn't have any effect on weight loss ( 11 , 12 ). Indeed, a study in 16 adults with obesity compared the effects of eating 3 and 6 meals per day and found no difference in weight, fat loss, or appetite .
Should I eat 3 meals a day even if I'm not hungry?
"Unless someone is seriously lacking in time or safe access to food, I would not recommend eating less than three meals a day, as that would require a large intake in one sitting in order to meet basic needs," she added.
What happens if you skip meals for 3 days?
Skipping meals: Causes the body to lower its metabolism (how much energy it needs to function) Causes us to burn less energy (fewer calories) Can lead us to gain weight when we eat our usual amount of food Leaves us with little energy because the body has run out of the fuel we get from food Leaves us sluggish and
How do I eat so much and not gain weight?
If you have a high metabolic rate, you may be able to eat much more than others and still not gain weight. Genes are just one variable that influence your BMR. Others include your age, height, starting weight, physical activity level and muscle mass percentage.
How can I eat 3 meals a day and not gain weight?
For results, try these 3 meals a day weight loss tips below:
- Eat three satisfying meals a day.
- Ensure each meal is balanced with all the macronutrients.
- Try to eat mindfully.
- Plan ahead of meals.
- Avoid high-calorie foods.
How much weight does the average person gain during the holidays?
The New England Journal of Medicine published a study of adults showing that the average holiday weight gain was . 37 kilograms, or just under a pound, and more than half the people in the study stayed within a kilogram, or just over two pounds, of their other weigh-ins.
How much holiday weight gain is normal?
Despite our worst fears, the average American really only puts on one pound during the holiday season which doesn't sound like much, unless you gain that extra pound year after year.
Is holiday weight gain permanent?
"The good news is that most people are not gaining five or six pounds during the holidays, but the bad news is that weight gained over the winter holidays isn't lost during the rest of the year," he said. Those small weight gains add up over the years, causing major medical problems, he said.
How do I stop holiday bloat?
8 Ways to De-Bloat in Time for Your Holiday
- Try taking a probiotic supplement. ...
- Consider peppermint oil. ...
- Strengthen your core. ...
- Eat mindfully. ...
- Keep Moving. ...
- Watch out for dietary triggers. ...
- Considered a Low FODMAP Diet. ...
- Consider digestive enzymes.
Why do I gain weight during holidays?
What should I eat on holiday without gaining weight?
Even without a refrigerator, you can snack on healthy, shelf-stable foods like:
- Nuts.
- Seeds.
- Trail mix.
- Cereal.
- Dried fruit.
- Low-fat crackers.
- Single-serve containers of fruit.
- Peanut butter.