December and January it the time of the year often centred on food and indulgence.There are special lunches, dinners and get-togethers everywhere. Holiday indulgence may be irresistible. This is the time of the year when we get to enjoy great food and we have a very good excuse to indulge!
But overeating during holidays leave many people feeling guilty especially when they notice that they have actually gained a few kilos. Well, this is really not too bad as long as we are able to get back on track next year and work out those excess fats. But if you are still concerned about gaining weight during this holiday season, we have a number of tips for you. It is certainly possible that you enjoy and indulge without overeating and feeling guilty!
Do not eat if you are not hungry
You may just have a late big lunch with a family, and because it is 1pm, (and you are still not hungry) it does not mean you must have lunch. A light snack in the afternoon may suffice.
Eat accordingly to your daily energy expenditure
We camp a lot during Summer holidays. It always amazes me to see when some people have eggs, bacon and other trimmings for breakfast while having a sedentary camping holidays ie only to sit with a beer more until the next big meal. There is no way one can burn those thousand of calories just by sitting. Alcohol has calories too. So plan your meal accordingly to what are you planning to do.
Plan at least one physical activity a day
Where ever you are in Australia; in the great outdoor or in the city there are many options to engage in physical activities such as walking, running swimming, hiking, cycling, canoeing, fishing, sailing surfing or sightseeing.
Spare your tummy for the foods you really enjoy. Don’t eat cookies and junk foods just because they are sitting there or others are enjoying them. Unless you really want them, spare your tummy for other foods – those that you really love to indulge in. And because it’s holiday season, there are going to be endless buffets featuring tantalising foods. Forget about the rest and simply focus on the foods you want. You do not have to try every food on the table.
Eat healthy most of the time. If you can’t resist the calorie-dense junk foods served in take away outlets plan your day and chose the healthiest options of eating out. Replace junk food with nuts or fruits and take those fizzy drinks from your fridge and replace them with chilled herbal tea or Rosehip Summer Drink.
Sweet tooth type
Take chromium supplements with you or other supplements controlling appetite, I take my protein powder SlimMe (meal replacement) and a shaker and mix it with water or almond milk. It is such a convenient and fast breakfast. Slim Me breakfast keeps me going until lunch time, regardless how active I chose to be that day.
Watch your portion. It’s perfectly okay to get some of this and some of that, as long as you are keeping an eye on your food portions. A great strategy is to get bigger portions of the healthy stuff and small portions of the calorie-dense, unhealthy food choices. And don’t forget to watch over the calories you are consuming from beverages. Commercial juice varieties, as well as some beers and alcohols are very high in calories. What’s more, they contain large amounts of sugar too. Chose smaller plates for lunch and dinner which will guarantee smaller serving.
Drink plenty of water. A glass of water before mealtime can reduce your hunger pangs or food cravings, making you less likely to overeat. It also helps prevent indigestion, which is common during the holiday season. Remember that fruit juice, coffee, teas and alcohol are dehydrating.
Stock up healthy snacks. If you are going out of town for a vacation, pick up a few healthy snacks like nuts, or fruits. This will prevent you from indulging in unhealthy snacks along the way and be tempted with junk food strategically located at petrol stations.
Don’t skip breakfast. Just because you will be attending a lunch party doesn’t mean you should skip breakfast. Eating a healthy, fulfilling meal in the morning could save you from a calorie indulgence later in the day. Opt for protein-filled foods like lean turkey or hard-boiled egg,
Go easy at 6pm onwards. Eating late on holidays is common. If you’re craving for pasta, rice and other calorie-dense meals, eat them at lunch. Enjoy fresh vegetable salad, sandwich and a glass of wine maybe for dinner.
Take easy on alcohol
Alternate alcoholic drinks with water to avoid hangover and dehydration. You will also be reducing your calorie intake this way. Furthermore, try spirits with low-calorie mixers and don’t forget to “drink moderately”. With the hot weather in Australia it is easy to get dehydrated, get a headache or hangover.
Do not feel guilty. It won’t help you with anything – it will just make you feel worse this holiday season. .The research from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand has found that people who felt guilty after overeating tend to gain more weight than those who didn’t feel guilty.
Hope you find these tips useful. Have a wonderful, delicious and fulfilling holiday ahead!
About the Author
Danuta Hulajko is a holistic practitioner, international speaker, founder of the DH Natural Medicine 
Clinic and www.healingremedies.com.au , Sydney. She specialises in anti-aging, autoimmunity, digestive disorders and heavy metals chelation. For more information please go to our website. You can follow Danuta Hulajko work, events, seminars, expos, latest health research, her health tips and advice on Facebook and LinkedIn
