Turkey, ham, pumpkin pie, fudge, hot chocolate, spiked eggnog, and other popular holiday foods are some of the biggest culprits of holiday weight gain in the United States. In fact, according to WebMD, the average American gains between seven to 10 pounds every holiday season, and often fails to lose this weight over the course of the year. As a result, Americans keep getting heavier with each passing year just from indulging over the holidays.
But despite this statistic, it’s still possible to enjoy your favorite holiday foods without suffering from excess weight gain, and by losing weight instead! Here are three tips on how to lose weight and still enjoy the holidays.
1. Eat your heaviest meals in the morning
Since your body needs carbohydrates for fuel and energy, you don’t want to cut carbs completely from your diet. Instead, load up on carbs earlier in the day when you plan on being more active. Instead of eating a large, heavy dinner in the typical fashion of most US families, eat a heavier breakfast and lunch, and go light for dinner. This year, instead of eating your family’s traditional Christmas or New Years meal for dinner, prepare it for the afternoon or early evening hours. This habit will also help prevent you from going to bed with a full, heavy stomach.
