How to avoid Christmas weight gain
Tape measure at the ready
The average person consumes an extra 500 calories a day over the festive period, equating to a weight gain of 5lb by the time January 1st comes around, according to the British Dietetic Association. If you're concerned about your intake, read the following tips...
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Food swaps for a lighter Christmas
Take a quick walk before Christmas lunch
A study that tracked frequent emotional snackers found that those who went for a brisk five-minute walk when they felt frazzled were much less likely to overeat than those who just sat still.
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Don’t save leftovers
Hosting a festive get-together? Keep only the meat and leftover veggies. Send high-calorie goodies, such as chocolates, cake and panettone, home with your guests, or wrap up individual portions of the high-calorie fare for your family.
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Cut your food into smaller pieces
Can’t resist a whole mince pie? Then cut it into quarters before tucking in. Research has found that people eat less if their food is in smaller pieces rather than one large one, even when the two contain the same number of calories.
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Offer to serve
Instead of accepting the huge pile of food that your mum/sister/gran dishes out, offer to serve everyone at the table. That way, you choose how much ends up on your plate – and score Brownie points for being helpful!
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Linger over lunch
You’ll eat 15% fewer calories if you sit down and eat more slowly. Rushing a meal means the hypothalamus – the part of the brain that registers when you’re full – doesn’t receive the right signals, so you may feel hungrier sooner.
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