How to lose weight over Christmas

how to lose weight over Christmas

Following a good diet can be particularly difficult during the festive season

In an earlier post we covered how to lose weight before Christmas by keeping the training schedule going and with some sensible dietary touches. Now let’s turn our attention to how to lose weight over Christmas.

The name of the game is damage limitation. There will be parties, there will be more calories than you usually consume. If you’re worried that your weight loss may slow or, at worse, start going up try adopting some of our Christmas diet tips below to ensure you start the New Year without a mountain to climb.

Get real

Unless you’re taking three weeks off over December, the festive period is a short one. This year the day falls on a Thursday so there’s a good chance you’ll be working that Monday/Tuesday and be back at work the new Monday/Tues. Ok, depressing, I know. But to state the obvious, the only really big, blow-out days – food-wise – is Christmas Eve/Christmas Day/Boxing Day and then New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day. That’s five days in the whole month.

Avoid

Office parties, drinks at the neighbours, catch up evenings with friends, socialising with business contacts. Each of these events can temporarily scupper a balanced diet. But all that free food and drink isn’t free – it comes at a hefty price to your waistline. If maintaining your weight is that important to you, choose carefully which events you attend. If you are inundated with invites, limit yourself to a handful.

Keep up the good work

Disruption of a good diet don’t mean it’s completely blown out of the water. Follow your healthy food rules as much as you can and celebrate small victories (they are better than none) as the weeks go on.

Keep the exercise schedule going

If your regular exercise times are disrupted with seasonal socialising, reschedule your training to different times or days or exercise for a shorter period. But do keep some activity going. It will help. Schedule the whole period so you can see the good and bad days and plan accordingly

Share a common goal

Find someone who’s also trying to stay healthy during the festive season. You can keep each other buoyed up abut the next challenge you’ve just been invited to. And consequently, you don’t need to tell others at that office party that you’re only having one glass of champagne. After their second glass, they won’t care anyway.

Don’t compound the problem

Often, I find that people will shrug their shoulders: if I’m going to eat badly and put on weight, I may as well go for it. That makes NO SENSE. Why not make your job of weight loss easier in the New Year and not harder?

Gift yourself a helping hand

Use the Black Friday sales to find a useful piece of kitchen equipment that helps keep you eating clean through December: a juicer, a new kitchen knife, or new sealable storage boxes for healthy lunches.

Normal service will resume shortly

Your regular life will return very soon after the festive period. So get ready. Put a cheap item in your Santa’s sock to encourage you to get exercising in the New Year: a recipe book, or a new pair of track pants or new workout playlist.

A Muddy Plimsolls personal trainer will help you navigate the festive season and greet the New Year ahead of the fitness crowd. Complete our Enquiry Form.

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