How to Reduce Fat Gain During the Holidays

Before the end of the December holidays, maybe you are one of those who thinks: how am I going to reduce the increase in fat that 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 question 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 is usually obtained 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 fat gain.

If people lost their holiday fat over the course of the next year, all would be well. But most don't, even if it's their New Year's resolution.

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

But that's not a long-term solution.

Methods to decrease 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 just be aware of your choices. This is an easy way to slow fat gain.

Below, I show you the studies that support 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 logged) lost weight during the holiday season; the other participants gained weight.

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

You will say, it is very difficult to keep track of what I eat, especially during the holidays, when hyper tasty dishes abound.

Yes it's correct. However, being mindful of what you eat and keeping track of what you ate 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 the foods in your favor

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

It is possible that it will be more difficult for you to get fed up with foods rich in protein, 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.

Besides that, protein has other advantages:

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

In another article published on our blog you can find out which is the best protein to lose weight .

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

Foods rich in these nutrients take up more space in your stomach, which partly explains why they are filling. 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 know 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 holidays.

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

Now that you know which foods work for you to 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 carbs, 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 burning alcohol. Therefore, the more alcohol you drink, the more fat, protein, and carbohydrates your body will store. And as if that were not enough, alcohol also stimulates the appetite, making you eat more.

Tips to reduce fat gain after Christmas excesses

I know that 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.

Here are some tips that can help you:

• Avoid stress.
• Go back to your usual eating habits.
• It's not necessary 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, various types of intermittent fasting have been shown to help you lose weight safely, while also allowing 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.
• Occasionally overeating is not intrinsically detrimental to health, especially when it is totally 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.
• Cut back on alcohol and decrease your 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, eating healthy and living an active life is essential.

There are many easy ways to maintain and start your healthy lifestyle, having a good time and no regrets.

And you, will you drive away excesses at parties?