It’s that time of year again when many health-conscious people, fitness buffs or just regular folk who like food are a bit worried about Holiday weight-gain. Every year it comes around, and every year it feels like a challenging mission. With a good plan, some fast and simple workouts and (most importantly for me) substitutes; it doesn’t have to be negative.
I’m going to start with the “substitutes” because that is what helps me the most to not feel like I’m really missing anything! Know there are substitutes (foods, desserts, ingredients, etc.) that can help you with your weight-loss or weight-maintenance goals at this festive and food-centred time of year.
1. Try your best to replace sugars with healthier or better versions like maple syrup, for example. Also, if you are really trying to stay away from sugar but still want some sweet tastes, try out desserts made with stevia, or purchase your own bottle (I have seen the liquid versions available at Top Carrot and Nature’s Discount). Staying away from sugar and foods/desserts that contain sugar is really important. We also have quite a few health-conscious restaurants and catering services with healthy desserts that are to-die-for; check them out and stock up on them or research online and make your own!
2. Watch your alcohol intake! Alcohol is another sugar that wreaks havoc on your weight-loss / weight-maintenance goals. Besides watching your alcohol intake, you can also make better choices in what you can do with alcohol.
3. Have a plan that works for you! I’ll share my plan: First, I always take the tastiest things on the menu. I try to make sure my plate has a lot of proteins (chicken, fish, red meat, quinoa, oatmeal, etc.) then satisfying healthy fats (e.g. olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil). I get stuff like avocados and nuts on my plate; next I make sure I get a good amount of veggies, but only veggies that I enjoy. I love roasted vegetables and they aren’t that hard to prepare – sometimes you can steam them for a bit then put them in the oven. If you are participating in a potluck, do the roasted vegetables. We have a wealth of root vegetables we can try like carrots, parsnips, potatoes and sweet potatoes, for example. Drizzle some olive oil, add some salt and herbs and pop them in the oven in a shallow dish or on a tray. I really like to fill my plate with these to avoid the not so great carbs like breads, crackers, macaroni pie and pastas.
4. Drink LOTS of water! It feels as if we have the holiday season as an excuse to drink whatever we want whenever we want. But that should be no excuse. Sugar lurks in just about every drink. Make your own fresh drinks and try to drink a glass of water before drinking anything else. Also try to start your mornings off with a warm/hot cup of lemon water – just lemon and water. This will help out a lot with bloat and indigestion throughout the holiday season. It is also a really great, simple and healthy habit to get into. The benefits will amaze you!
