Christmas, New Year’s—the month of December is a time of family, fun, and (unfortunately) feasts! It’s easy to spend an entire year watching your weight by regularly going to the gym and eating the right food, only to see all the progress melt away the moment that first Christmas party comes around the corner.
But the holiday season doesn’t always have to be doom and gloom for you and your belly. With a few little self-reminders every time, you can keep yourself looking just as fit on the first day of the new year as you were the month before. So we’ve compiled a few of our favourite Christmas health tips to keep your body in prime condition over this holiday season.
1. Don’t Sacrifice Sleep
We often tell ourselves that we will actually spend more time sleeping over the holidays, with time off work and more time to goof around with family and friends. But the December schedule is often so overloaded that we have much less free time than we normally would have; the thing is, we just don’t realise it because we’re so busy! With more parties to plan and things to do and food to prepare, it can be hard to squeeze in 8 hours a night every single night.
But never sacrifice sleep. Sleep is crucial towards maintaining your regular rhythm, from your mood to your productivity to your weight. If you see yourself taking on two or three times as many tasks as you had expected, then get some help; hire help if you have no other options. Overworking yourself and getting sick is the last thing you want to happen.
2. Stop Nibbling
We get it—the food during the holiday season is delicious and there’s so much to go around; how in the world can anyone expect you to keep that extra weight off? But in many cases, it’s not about the main meals we’re eating at all; it’s about how we’re eating that’s keeping us fat over the holidays.
For example, you might tend to nibble snacks throughout the entire day. Every time you walk into the kitchen, you’ll see the basket of Christmas goodies that one of your cousins or aunts brought over. And what harm could one little cookie do, right? But one little cookie every few hours ends up being 3-5 extra kilos over the course of the month.
3. Don’t Stick To Two Giant Meals A Day
We know this might sound like the opposite of what we just said, but another way that people gain massive weight over the holidays is by having two giant meals in a day, instead of the regular 3-4 small or medium meals a day.
Two heavy meals a day is a surefire way to gain weight, even if you’ve cut back on all the excess nibbling and snacking. If you know that a big meal is about to come up, then stick to a banana or bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. And if you do participate in a pig out feast, that doesn’t mean it’s game over—just eat light the next day. Remember: weight gain is caused by overindulgence over the course of several days, not a single loaded meal.
4. Put A Cap On The Booze
Drinking is fun and no one wants to be the bore at the party, but if you want to keep the weight off, you’re going to have to set a limit. Alcohol has tons of empty calories that you don’t need, and they make it easier for you to dive into the deep end and fill your mouth with cakes and pies all night long.
If you have to have a drink in your hand constantly at a Christmas or New Year’s party, then consider non-alcoholic options, like lime and soda or sparkling water.
5. Exercise
It’s easy to wake up on a December morning and think that you can save the workouts for your New Year’s resolution. Here’s the thing: don’t. You need to keep working out the same way you do the rest of the year. Working out leads to an endorphin release, and this release jumpstarts that positive mood you need to keep your willpower up.
And Finally: Keep Your Body-Pain Free With Chiropractic Care
Whether you’re a long-term customer or a first-time potential patient, chiropractic care is an amazing way to keep your body pain-free during the holidays. Sudden weight gain can give you slight changes in posture, leading to back, hip, and joint pain throughout the body.
With First Choice Chiropractic, the number one chiropractic choice for countless patients in the area, we can help keep off the pain as you keep off the weight. Give yourself that relaxing, stress-free holiday break you’ve been looking forward to, with chiropractic therapy to make yourself feel truly rejuvenated.
Contact us today and enquire now!
