We all know that it's difficult to eat healthy over the holidays, but remember, all is not lost.
Fight the festive bulge with these easy tips:
Slow down
Eat slowly and concentrate on enjoying the flavours of different foods. Eating slowly will help you not to overeat.
Don’t starve
Don’t go for the binge and starve strategy. Missing meals will often lead to snacking on sweets, crisps and leftover food. Concentrate on eating when you’re hungry and stop eating when you are full, and always have at least six small meals a day.
Eat this…
Eat lots of summer fruit. Fruit contains filling fiber and water, as well as various vitamins and minerals. Try making fruit smoothies and fruit salads for a change.
Spoil yourself
When eating at a social event, spoil yourself with small amounts of foods you don’t normally have, but keep within the guidelines of healthy eating. Leave the ordinary foods you have during the rest of the year, eg. Bread and bread rolls, in favour of something different.
Follow the 75% rule
Try to eat healthy meals 75% of the time. If you plan to have supper with friends, still have a high fibre, low fat breakfast and lots of salads and fruit at lunch and as snacks.
Keep hydrated
Remember to keep drinking lots of water, especially if the weather is hot.
Cut back on your alcohol consumption
Be careful when drinking alcohol. Dilute white wine with soda water, have light beers and always have water or diet coldrinks in between alcoholic drinks.
Make healthy decisions
If you have no control over the food being served at a meal, go for small portions of the fatty stuff and fill up on the healthier stuff (eg. lots of turkey white meat and a little of the sausage stuffing.)
Stay motivated
If you find it difficult to continue with your normal weight loss over the festive season, at least try to maintain your weight where it is now and start putting in more effort again as soon as you are back in your normal routine.
Vitamins
Remember to keep taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement, especially if you are not eating sufficient fruit, vegetables and wholegrains.
Keep exercising
Keep doing exercise to prevent weight gain and stay fit. Include the family in fun activities like walking, swimming and playing cricket.
*Malinda Lennox, Registered Dietician, The Lean Aubergine.