Taking Care of Your Figure During Christmas
Once December approaches, you may start getting anxious. Everyone knows this is the one month where eating is one of the main activities. For that reason, you may begin to wonder if taking care of your figure during this time is possible. At Christmas parties, it’s common to consume sweets, large amounts of sugar, and too much food overall. In this article, we’ll be giving you a series of tips so that you won’t completely lose your figure this December.
The number one point that you must keep in mind is increasing the body’s fat mass isn’t just an aesthetic issue. In fact, it has everything to do with the development of multiple chronic and complex pathologies. Let us tell you that it is possible to enjoy this celebration without having to give up a balanced diet. Let’s expand on this a bit more.
Keys for taking care of your figure during Christmas
With the following recommendations, you’ll be able to achieve your goal without having to restrict yummy foods entirely. Take note!
1. Value intermittent fasting
During Christmas, it’s common to eat large amounts of food (more than usual, to be honest). For this reason, you can reduce the number of times you eat per day. In this regard, intermittent fasting is a great option.
This protocol consists of going at least 16 hours without consuming calories. Skipping breakfast and eating nothing from dinner until noon the next day is the most practical way to go. However, this isn’t a set rule. For that reason, we recommend you consult a nutritionist to help you evaluate this alternative as it may not work for you.
Moreover, according to a study published in the Clinical Nutrition ESPEN journal, this model tends to have a positive impact on weight loss and the physiological parameters associated with metabolic health.
By reducing the calories you normally eat in the morning, along with increased oxidation of lipids at this time of day, you’ll avoid gaining weight, even if you slightly overindulge in your meals.
2. Reduce your alcohol intake
We dare to say that the worst excess during Christmas doesn’t have to do with food. You guessed it – it has to do with alcohol consumption. This poison negatively affects the functioning of the body. In fact, it makes the liver suffer in the medium term.
On the other hand, the regular intake of alcoholic beverages can make you gain weight from the contribution of empty calories, according to a study published in the Obesity journal. It can even affect the risk of developing diabetes as well as promoting inflammatory mechanisms.
If taking care of your figure during Christmas is what you want, then opt for wine instead of beer. Of course, you shouldn’t drink copious amounts of wine either, but one or two glasses should be okay. You could also opt for vodka preparations as it’s very low in calories (in moderation too, of course). Always try to restrict those with high alcohol and caloric content.
3. Avoid carbohydrates in main meals
Consuming sweets during Christmas is very common. You may think that taking care of your figure during Christmas means no sugar consumption whatsoever. However, this isn’t true, you must look for strategies that minimize the impact of such a high sugar intake.
For one, if you plan on eating dessert, we recommend that you avoid foods with high carbohydrate content during main meals. In this way, you reduce the total carbohydrate intake, which will have a positive impact on pancreatic health.
Remember that if the food is copious and high in protein and fat, gastric emptying will be slow. This will reduce the rise in blood glucose (blood sugar) from eating sweets during dessert.
Also keep in mind that sauces have a high caloric density, so consume them moderately. It’s important that you always choose broth instead of those of industrial origin.
Taking care of your figure during Christmas is possible!
Christmas is a time of excess, we all know this. Despite that, taking care of your figure is possible, you should have to consume meals that don’t negatively affect your body composition. This will benefit your health in the medium term as well.
In order to do this, we advise you to put into practice the advice that we’ve offered you. It won’t be excessively expensive and will benefit you greatly.
However, bear in mind that intermittent fasting has certain limitations. For example, you shouldn’t carry it out if you’re pregnant, a teenager, or if you suffer from certain pathologies. Therefore, as we said before, consulting with a nutritionist is your best bet.
Finally, don’t forget that physical exercise will always be an essential tool to ensure weight control. In this sense, we encourage you to do as much sport as possible to improve insulin sensitivity and prevent obesity.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Santos HO., Macedo RCO., Impact of intermittent fasting on the lipid profile: assessment associated with diet and weight loss. Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2018. 24: 14-21.
- Chao AM., Wadden TA., Tronieri JS., Berkowitz RI., Alcohol intake and weight loss during intensive lifestyle intervention for adutls with overweight or obesity and diabetes. Obesity, 2019. 27 (1): 30-40.
