By Jena Viviano
What a joyous time of year! Friends and families gather to celebrate the greatest gift given to earth. Time spent, stories told, memories created – the Christmas season is full of joy, laughter and age-old traditions. Often times with the increase in festivities, comes the increase in feasting and consequently an increase in pant size.
Here are some quick, easy tricks to help you fight off the usually imminent holiday weight gain!
1) Eat light to heavy. Is your host serving a salad as a side dish? Fill up your plate with those veggies first. Then, if you’re still hungry move on to another dish, something that is devoid of cream and large amounts of fat and sugar. Listen to your body, are you really still hungry? If you try and fill up on the lighter items first it leaves less room for the pound packing heavier dishes common around the Christmas table.
2) Keep up your activity. Just set aside 20 minutes a day to exercise. Maybe it’s just a brisk walk or a bodyweight resistance training session in your basement. I know that may seem like a lot with the kids running around, family visiting from out of town – but you deserve those 20 minutes. It will help you serve your family better and will give you a boost of energy and confidence.
3) Have a cookie. I know this may sound counterintuitive, but don’t deprive yourself. Now, that’s not to say that you should overindulge either, but if you have a favorite cookie that you only make once a year – eat the cookie! Just don’t eat five! You do have the willpower to stop at one. Satisfy your sweet tooth, savor it and move on.
At the end of the day, the holiday season is for spending time with others. It’s not about the food, gifts or colorful lights. Truthfully, it’s about sharing the joy granted to us all when the baby Jesus entered into this broken world to save us all!
Jena is a believer in kindred spirits, handwritten thank you notes and divine intervention. She desires to encourage and inspire other young women as they navigate through the muddy waters of becoming an adult. By day, you can find her on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. By night, you can find her blogging away at giant in heels or instagramming on her page @giantinheels.
How to Healthfully Navigate the Christmas Season