Holiday Weight Loss Challenge | Evolution Nutrition

The holiday season is near, which means lots of family meetings, going out, and, of course, eating delicious food for most of your clients.

 

Only, there’s a small problem:

The holidays can be a significant hindrance for many people and often lead to unwanted weight gain and feelings of guilt. Studies have shown an average of 1-2 lbs of weight gain from a single day of holiday eating which can add several thousand calories to your normal energy balance. No one likes to step on the scale after those 24 hours, but then adding stress & unhealthy habits also with your clients feeling they have to diet religiously after the holidays to make up for binge eating.  To that end, we’ve put together this handy guide to help you eat sensibly, stay more active, and lose weight during the holidays.

 

Holiday Weight Loss Nutrition

Undoubtedly, your nutrition is going to make the biggest impact during the holidays. So, let’s take a look at the most critical questions: the what and the when.

No matter where you live in the world, you can always keep the below three rules for the what part:

 

1) Limit food choices, not quantities.

Eating many types of foods makes it incredibly easy to stuff yourself because each dish offers a new feel and a tremendous surge of dopamine.

But if you limit your food choices, you will find yourself more in-tune with your hunger and cravings, and the probability of stuffing yourself silly will be much slimmer.

 

2) Bet on protein-rich foods.

Chicken, turkey, seafood, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, and red meat - you can’t go wrong with these. One of the simplest ways to fill yourself up without consuming thousands of calories is to bet on such high-protein foods and leave carbs and sweets for last.

Meal planning can be incredibly helpful here because you can make sure that each dish has a protein source that will help keep you satiated and healthy.

 

3) Fill up on salads, soups and fruits, if possible.

Granted, most of us don’t want to eat salads during the holidays, but that’s one great strategy to fill up early on and then feel more satiated without having to eat a lot of food.

A good option as an appetizer is a healthy protein-based soup. This will add protein, low glycemic carbs, and most importantly volume that can help reduce hunger and cravings for the main dishes. A great soup option from Evolution Nutrition that is high in protein, lactose free, & low glycemic is Ham & Sweet Potato Soup.

Now, when should you eat?  The best thing here would be to eat only at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Three square meals, even if you happen to eat more, will help keep your calories in check and weight loss on track.

 

How To Stay Active And Burn Calories During the Holidays

Aside from keeping your nutrition in check, being more active will help you burn calories and offset some of the ‘damage.’

 

1. Walk more.

Walk as much as possible. It may not seem like much, but every step counts. If you can hit at least 7,000 steps every day, you’ll burn a good deal of calories.

 

2. Hit a quick workout at home if you can’t make it to the gym.

Can’t make it to the gym? No problem. Do a circuit-style workout by mashing together some squats, push-ups, crunches, and even pull-ups if you have a bar nearby.

 

3. Do something as a family.

Take a walk after eating, go bowling, play some hide-and-go-seek with the kids, or have a snowball fight.

 

There are many ways to sneak in activity during the holidays and have a great time with your family.