Amazing tips to avoid gaining weight on holidays

August 5. 2021

It’s almost become a tradition to focus on the food every time we celebrate something or have time off; it’s a tradition not many of us would give up that easily. We typically associate holiday weight gain with winter holidays, when we tend to indulge in heavy comfort food. However, summertime also brings numerous threats to our weight, and these threats are often hidden behind cold beverages, refreshing salads, happy hours, and backyard barbecues. Thankfully, there are ways to avoid gaining weight on holidays while still enjoying the treats mentioned above. Keeping in mind that the weight we put on during the holidays requires anywhere up to two months to come off, here are our amazing tips to avoid gaining weight on holidays:

• Stay loyal to your regular meal schedule.
  Though it is tempting to switch to a 24/7 food festival as soon as your holiday starts, staying loyal to your usual meal structure will definitely work in favor of keeping the unwanted weight off. If you typically have three meals a day, aim to retain such a schedule on your holidays. Since you’ll probably spend some summer nights awake longer than usual, try to skip on those late-night snacks and take-outs; your body will get used to them, and before you know it – you won’t be able to control your hunger spikes during the night. 

• Go easy on your breakfast.
  Following the previous tip, if you’re trying to stick to your regular meal schedule, going easy on breakfast can leave some room for a heavier lunch or dinner. Instead of loading yourself with carbs and calories first thing in the morning, try having eggs or an avocado smoothie. Proteins will keep you full for longer and prevent you from snacking too much. That way, you’ll be able to treat yourself to a fancy dinner or wine tasting later on during the day without feeling guilty for exceeding your daily calorie intake goal.

• Snack smarter.
  If snacks are a part of your usual meal plan, you shouldn’t have a problem with doing a bit of snack planning and preparing in advance. Having nutritious snacks by your side wherever you go is a fantastic way to curb hunger between meals and ensure your body gets some vitamins, fiber, and healthy fats. Your snacks of choice should be some fresh fruit, nuts, homemade energy bars, etc. 

• Take a long way (and make it fun).
  Holidays are truly special, as they bring many opportunities for you to stay active virtually effortlessly. Think about going for a walk to visit all the sites instead of taking a tour bus, paddleboarding instead of just laying on the beach, or wake up early to jog on the sand. Swimming is a powerful physical activity since it activates your whole body, burns a significant amount of calories, and leaves you feeling relaxed and destressed. 

• Skip the buffet.
  Buffets are often included in holiday packages, and they leave us feeling like we should pile up food on our plates like there’s no tomorrow to make it worth the money. However, there’s another way to look at the buffets: if it offers healthy, nutritious meals that will leave you feeling full and energized – it’s already worth your money. If, on the other hand, all you can find in your buffet are pancakes, chocolate-filled croissants, and sugary cereals – do yourself a favor and skip it. An excellent way to always have a healthy and nutritious breakfast is to hit the grocery store as soon as you land on your vacation. If a kitchen is included in your accommodation, you can always find some time to prepare a protein-packed breakfast that won’t leave you sluggish and definitely won’t add those extra pounds on the scale. 

• Practice mindful eating.
  To be precise – mindful eating should be the only way we eat, all the time – and not just on our holidays. However, it’s often easier to start practicing it once you’re done with all the chores, responsibilities, and deadlines. That’s why holidays are an excellent opportunity to begin practicing mindful eating, which will significantly reduce your chances of gaining weight. Take your time to either prepare your meal or simply eat it with all your senses included. Leave enough time for your body and brain to feel the satiety and, in a timely manner, tell you when to stop.

• Find some time to rest.
  Holidays (unfortunately) don’t last forever. Since we only get a few days or weeks, it’s pretty tempting to overload ourselves with different activities that often leave us up till dawn. Messing up your sleep schedule disrupts virtually every other aspect of your life – weight included. Not only will sleepless nights force you into eating outside your regular meal schedule, but they’ll also mess up your hormonal balance and disable you from making the right decisions regarding the quantity and the type of food you eat. 

• Beware of refreshing ambushes.
  Liquid calories are pretty sneaky; they’re refreshing, taste amazing, and trick you into feeling you’re hydrated. Sodas, smoothies, and ice-cold cocktails are all fun and games until you realize they’re packed with syrups, pre-made sugary liquids, and alcohol, all overloaded with calories you’re not aware of until they add up and build around your waistline. Although you may be unwilling to give up that cold beer mug on a backyard barbecue, keep in mind that moderation goes a long way. When it comes to cocktails, you can always make a diet mojito (or a diet version of pretty much any cocktail) or opt for the ones that are already low in calories (such as a vodka soda). Lastly, make water your primary source of hydration, and take advantage of all its glorious benefits (including the fact that it can make phentermine more effective).

Final thoughts

Gaining weight on holidays is a nightmare we rarely think about in advance. Here at weight loss clinic Chicago, we advise our patients that depriving themselves of traditional holiday treats can quickly make them eager to splash out and overload with everything they had previously forbidden themselves. Nevertheless, once you understand and apply these tips, you most likely won’t have to worry about going on restrictive diets after your holiday ever again. Simple changes that take little to no effort can save you a lot of nerves and help you enjoy your days off to the fullest. 

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.