How to Reduce Fat Gain During the Holidays

Before the holidays end, perhaps you are one of those who think: how am I going to reduce the fat gain I had? And maybe, that could be your main New Year's goal.

It is said that most of the weight you gain in a year is gained during the holidays. And the truth is that attending a celebration is not the problem, the issue is in the feast of banquets and sweets that you consume. That does make you gain a few extra kilos.

But don't worry, in this post you will learn two methods to reduce the fat gain that usually occurs during the holidays.

Say no to excesses!

For many, the holiday season is a time to be with family and celebrate Christmas and New Years together. But it is also the time when delicious traditional foods and sweets play a key role in gaining fat.

If people lost the fat they gained during the holidays over the course of the next year, everything would be fine. But most don't do it, even if it is their New Year's resolution.

Unfortunately, people prefer to compensate for big dinners by eating less for a while or just enough to offset the caloric surplus they had.

But that is not a long-term solution.

Methods to reduce fat gain

I will explain two effective and proven methods to achieve this:

Be aware of what you eat

Track your entire diet (what you eat and what you drink) or simply be aware of your choices. This is an easy way to decrease fat gain.

Below, I show you the studies that support that self-control can prevent weight gain, and even promote weight loss.

• Among people enrolled in the Diabetes Prevention Program, only consistent diet trackers (more than 67% of days recorded) lost weight during the holiday season; the other participants gained weight.

• During the year of a cognitive-behavioral weight loss program, all men and women lost weight, but only the most consistent self-monitors did so even during the holidays, when most participants saw the number on their scale increase.

You say, it's really hard to keep track of what I eat, especially during the holidays when hyper-tasty dishes abound.

Yes it's correct. However, being aware of what you eat and keeping track of what you eat can help you lose fat over the course of a year. And if you're really consistent, it can even help you lose fat during the holiday season. It's amazing!

Choose foods in your favor

If you resist the idea of ​​tracking what you eat and drink during Christmas dinners, another way to slow fat gain is to focus on foods rich in protein, fiber, and water.

You may find it more difficult to fill up on protein-rich foods, since they are especially satiating, and above all, because of the amino acids they contain, especially leucine, which directly tells your brain that you are being fed.

In addition to that, protein has other advantages:

• Promotes fat loss.
• Maintains your muscles during weight loss.

In another article published on our blog you can learn which is the best protein for losing weight .

On the other hand, there are foods full of fiber and water, which help regulate appetite and satiety.

Foods rich in these nutrients take up more space in your stomach, which partly explains why they are satiating. However, this effect varies between people (the cause is still being investigated).

Did you know that there is a diet based on the satiating properties of foods rich in fiber and water? It's called a volumetric diet. And if you want to learn more about this diet and many others to lose a few extra kilos, take a look at this post on our blog “ Learn about the best diets to lose weight 2020 ”.

By focusing on foods rich in protein, fiber, and water, you can reduce fat gain during the holiday season.

How to consume your macronutrients if you want to reduce fat gain

Now that you know which foods help you reduce fat gain, you should know which ones you could avoid to achieve your goal.

This is how macronutrients work:

To put it another way, the amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fat you eat will affect your total caloric intake. And if you consume more calories than you burn, all the excess fat will be stored in different parts of your body.

And very important: alcohol is problematic for you, if you want to keep body fat at bay.

When your body needs fuel, fat is its last option; This prioritizes the burning of alcohol. Therefore, the more alcohol you drink, the more fats, proteins, and carbohydrates your body will store. And as if that were not enough, alcohol also stimulates your appetite, making you eat more.

Tips to reduce fat gain after Christmas excesses

I know you are aware that excesses are bad for your health. The important thing is that, from now on, you work hard to reduce fat gain for the rest of your life.

These are some tips that can help you:

• Avoid stress.
• Go back to your usual eating habits.
• You don't need to starve yourself after Christmas dinner, but alternating periods of eating more and eating less could help you regain or maintain a healthy weight. In fact, several types of intermittent fasting have been shown to help you lose weight safely and also allow you to incorporate large, satisfying meals into your routine. I invite you to read the post " Quick guide to intermittent fasting and the safest and most delicious way to break it " on our blog.
• Occasional overeating is not intrinsically harmful to health, especially when it is completely healthy food.
• To help mitigate weight gain, eat more vegetables and lean meats.
• Be aware of what you eat.
• Include foods rich in protein, fiber and water in your diet.
• Reduce alcohol consumption and reduce the intake of processed foods and sugar.
• Walk 30 minutes after each meal.

If you want more useful information, you can take a look at this post “ Follow these tips to avoid gaining weight during the Christmas holidays ”

Remember that, to reduce fat gain, having a healthy diet and an active life is essential.

There are many simple ways to maintain and start your healthy lifestyle, having a good time and without regrets.

And you, will you keep away excesses at parties?