Holiday Weight Loss: 5 Healthy Christmas Treats

October 31. 2023

The holidays are just around the corner; that means holiday food and Christmas treats are coming. Sticking to your weight loss goals during this season can be challenging. It’s easy to lose track of our objectives and go: “I’ll start the diet and hit the gym in January.” But if you put in the hard work during the rest of the year, throwing all the effort away in just a few weeks would be a shame. Luckily, healthy Christmas treats can provide all the holiday fun and taste you crave while allowing you to maintain a healthy weight.

Why is it difficult to lose weight on the holidays?

Christmas may be just one day, but the holiday season is a time when unhealthy eating becomes more common. We have Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. Between the holiday office parties, family gatherings, every store selling treats, and your grandma baking sweet goods, escaping the holidays’ unhealthy food madness can be difficult.

Following a healthy diet is the primary requirement to attain weight loss. Weight loss holidays is a challenging goal because food is one of the leading holiday traditions. And that food is almost never healthy: stuffed turkey, Christmas ham, mashed potatoes, sugar cookies, hot chocolate, and the list goes on and on. You will likely increase your daily calorie intake even if you reduce your food portions.

Besides, most people take a few days off during the holidays to travel or spend time with their loved ones. And let’s be honest; do you really continue to work out during those days? If you are following a medical weight loss program, such as Ozempic weight loss, physical activity is a must.

Extra delicious (but unhealthy) food and lack of physical activity equals weight gain – or at least a temporary weight loss plateau.

Can I prevent Christmas weight gain?

Yes! There’s plenty you can do to prevent putting on weight during the holiday season.

The best way to avoid weight gain would be to stay away from unhealthy foods and stick to your regular diet plan as much as possible. Do you still need to get a personalized weight-loss diet plan? Then we recommend you ask your dietitians or weight loss clinic in Chicago to craft one for you. Committing to a healthy diet becomes a more manageable task when you have a proper meal plan to follow.

Our second advice is to try not to discard your workout routine completely. Continue going to the gym, even if you attend fewer days that week. If you are traveling, take some light workout equipment with you – and remember to pack your sportswear! Sometimes, wearing your gym apparel is all it takes to put you back in the mood to stay active. If you don’t have workout equipment, improvise. Go for daily walks or runs, and make sure to dance at those holiday parties to burn some extra calories.

We created a complete guide on avoiding gaining weight on holidays that you can check to stick to your weight loss journey.

5 weight-loss-friendly, healthy Christmas treats

So sticking to your meal plan and including some physical activity is essential to avoid gaining weight during the holidays. But we bet you don’t want to miss all the holiday fun and tasty foods. After all, we only enjoy those treats once a year, right? Don’t worry; we have you covered. Our dedicated staff came up with these 5 healthy Christmas treats and dessert options especially for you. If you are trying to lose weight or committing to a holiday intermittent fasting program, grab pen and paper and write down these easy recipes:

Easy Chocolate Truffles

If you love chocolate, you will dig this delicious chocolate truffles recipe:

• 6 oz dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup ripe avocado – we are taking advantage of the healthy fats and how they can enhance your Saxenda meal plan
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder – for dusting

Chop the dark chocolate and melt it (you can use the microwave, but make sure not to burn the chocolate). Add the coconut sugar and the vanilla extract and mix well. In a separate bowl, puree the avocado and blend until smooth. Combine the avocado and the melted chocolate preparation; whisk until thoroughly combined. Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes; once the preparation has cooled, roll the truffles into small balls and dust them on cocoa powder.

Delicious Gingerbread Muffins

These yummy and healthy gingerbread muffins are the perfect treat for a Christmas breakfast!

• 2 cups oats (or oats flour)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cups applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1.5 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 cup almond or coconut milk

The ingredient list may seem long, but the recipe is incredibly easy to make. First, preheat an over to 350 °F and grease the muffin tins. In a blender, blend the oats until they have a flour-like consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine well. Pour the batter into the muffin tins, filling only 3/4 of the tin. Bake for about 25 minutes and enjoy them! You can use the same recipe and a bread tin to make the classic gingerbread.

Chocolate Covered Popcorn

This is the perfect treat for those who love lazy Christmas snacks. And all you’ll need is:

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
• 1/4 tsp coconut oil (optional)

First, pop the popcorn; you can use the microwave, popcorn popper, or stove. Make sure to read and follow the package instructions. Once the popcorn is ready, spread it on a baking sheet and sprinkle it with salt. Set that aside; melt the chopped chocolate and coconut oil until smooth. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the melted chocolate preparation over the popcorn until evenly covered. Set the popcorn at room temperature for about 20 minutes, put your favorite Christmas movie, and enjoy!

Keto Hot Chocolate

We know everyone in your home will soon enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate, and we don’t want you to miss out. For this healthy Christmas treats recipe, we will use heavy cream instead of milk; that will make the chocolate keto-friendly (and it will taste much better, too).

• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 tsp keto-friendly sweeteners, such as Swerve or Stevia
• 1 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Whipped cream and cocoa powder (optional for serving)

In a small-sized saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the cocoa powder, sweetener, and 2 tbsp of water until smooth. Add the remaining water and heavy cream and increase the heat to medium. Whisk occasionally until hot. Stin in the vanilla extract and pour into your favorite Christmas mug. You can serve it with whipped cream on top and a dusting of cocoa powder.

Healthy Christmas Sugar Cookies

This Christmas dessert recipe ideas article wouldn’t be complete without a healthy Christmas cookies version. Good Christmas cookie recipes are a must at this time of the year; here is what you’ll need to prepare our tasty cookies:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

In a bowl, cream the sugar and butter for about 5-10 minutes until it is very light in color. Add the egg and vanilla and combine well. Mix 1 cup flour, salt, and baking powder and add to the butter and sugar preparation. Blend until smooth and add the remaining flour; mix until the dough starts to stick together and is no longer crumbly. Take the dough to the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Once the dough has chilled, flour your working surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the cookie dough.

Use your favorite Christmas cookie cutters, cut the cookies, and place them on the cookie sheet – leave about 1″ of space between each cookie. Bake them at 375 °F for about 10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.

Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• 3-4 tsp milk

Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 3 tsp milk. Combine thoroughly until the icing is smooth; if needed, add the 4th tsp of milk. Decorate the cookies and wait for about 2 hours before stacking them.

Final thoughts

With these healthy Christmas treats, your weight loss journey during the holidays is saved. You won’t have to worry about missing all the holiday fun and tasty treats. If you are not a fan of baking cookies or goods, you can add these recipes to your Christmas weight loss gifts list and ask a relative or friend to make them for you. You can even share these recipes with your friends and encourage them to eat healthier during this season. Like always, remember that moderation is key when trying to lose weight; if you overindulge in these healthy treats, that can lead to weight gain. Would you like more healthy meal ideas or a personalized weight loss plan? Schedule a call with us; we can work toward your ideal diet plan.

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.