The holidays mark the most exciting times of the year. However, in between the parties, laughter, and merry-making, it’s also a time many find themselves packing on the pounds. In fact, the period between mid-November and the start of January sees an ordinary person add an average of half a kilogram. While this may seem negligible, many people don’t shed off the pounds they gain during the holidays. Holiday weight is a significant contributor to the overall annual weight gain for most people.

While it may seem illogical, adding several pounds over the holidays is far from unavoidable. There are logical methods to help you stay on track. This should not be construed to mean that you will have to avoid the eating and celebrations that characterise the holiday season. You will just need to make healthier food choices and eat in moderation.

Let’s see how you can navigate the holidays without adding inches to your waistline.

Adopt mindful eating

People are in a constant state of rush and excitement during the holiday season, which often contributes to multitasking when eating meals. According to research, people who eat while doing other tasks are more inclined to overindulging. The reason being they can’t listen to their body’s signal of fullness or contentment. To avoid this occurrence, concentrate on eating without distractions from work or video games. Another approach to eat mindfully is to eat slowly and chew thoroughly. As such, you’ll be able to pay attention to your body’s hints of fullness and consume fewer calories. Numerous studies reveal that those who observe mindful eating habits are less prone to add weight during the holidays.

Pick protein

Foods rich in protein are associated with weight control since they increase your metabolic rate and trigger the release of hunger-quashing hormones. Protein makes you feel full longer. Because you feel satisfied, your calorie intake will significantly be reduced. Plus, protein is the building block for healthy muscle mass. Muscles are renowned for their fat-burning prowess. For these benefits, make sure you get least 30 grams of protein per meal. Some sources of protein include fish, meat, poultry, beans, lentils and quinoa.

Fiber

Similar to protein, fiber is another nutrient positively related to fullness. Fiber-rich foods such as oatmeal, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds, blueberries and raspberries induce fullness and thus reduce overall calorie intake. Therefore, a steady intake of dietary fiber is a sure way to avoid weight gain during the festivities. Despite the fact many typical holiday meals lack sufficient fiber, it’s your responsibility to add in fiber-rich foods into your holiday menu.

Small plates

Over the years, the size of plates has significantly increased. If possible, pick the smaller salad plate rather than the tray-like one holding mountains of food. Serving food on a small plate makes you feel fuller despite eating less food. The mind associates the empty space on a big plate with a lesser amount of food.

Complex carbs

Simple carbohydrates include white bread and refined sugars in candy and soft drinks. While they do provide energy, they often don’t provide similar nutrients as complex carbs. The body digests simple carbs a lot quicker compared to the complex type, which raises blood sugar levels and leaving you feeling hungry after a short while. In contrast, complex carbs take a long time before they are digested. As such, you remain fuller for longer.

If you are serious about checking your weight during the holidays, enroll in a weight loss program and stick to the tips mentioned above regarding food choices. Understand that you can say no to specific foods that don’t align with your objectives. Also, remember that you can allow yourself to cheat occasionally. If it happens, don’t abandon your goal. Just move on and pick a healthier food choice in subsequent meals.

Here’s something you didn’t know: right inside your body is your personal trainer toiling untiringly to help you shed calories and fat. It’s referred to as your metabolism, and it is affected by every action of your body.

After eating, enzymes usually break down the food and convert it into energy, used for bodily processes such as thinking, keeping your heart beating, and simply moving it around. The quicker your metabolic rate, the higher the number of calories and fats you burn which, in turn, leads to easier weight loss. While you can’t influence the number of calories needed to keep your mind thinking, you can, however, lose an additional 400 to 600 calories every day through healthy dieting and exercise.

Bear in mind that you can accelerate the speed at which your metabolism works which ultimately affords you massive control over your metabolism. So what ways can speed up your metabolic rate? Well, read about these tried and tested moves that will propel your metabolic rate into overdrive.

Don’t skip breakfast

Taking a healthy breakfast meal consisting of scrambled eggs, whole-wheat bread slathered with almond butter and tea shortly after waking up literally jump starts your metabolism. The morning meal fires up your engine and keeps it humming. Studies have revealed that dieters who take breakfast are more likely to lose pounds than those who skip it. By avoiding breakfast, your body switches into starvation mode, and your metabolic rate slows down considerably to preserve energy.

Go organic

Are you split between buying organic foods? Well, here is something to sway you. Vegetables, fruits, and grains keep your metabolism running at full speed because organic foods don’t subject your thyroid to toxins exposure. On the other hand, nonorganic produce hinders your metabolism by impeding your thyroid, which is responsible for controlling the speed at which your metabolism runs.

Think protein

Digestion of protein happens at a far slower rate compared to carbohydrates or fats, which mean you feel satisfied longer after eating. Moreover, it sends your metabolism into overdrive. In a process termed thermogenesis, the body uses about 10 percent of its calorie intake for digestion purposes. Given that it requires a longer time to digest protein compared to fat or carbs, the body releases more heat. Plus, diets rich in protein help form and maintain lean body mass, which is arguably the finest fat-burner. Muscle expands more calories compared to fat, even at rest. Therefore, every meal you take should be crammed with protein. As part of your weight loss program, target a serving of 30 grams of protein at each meal which is equal to a four-ounce chicken breast or a cup of low-fat cheese.

Omega 3 fatty acids

Are you aware that eating plenty of fish high in omega 3 fatty acids can help pump up your metabolism? Salmon, tuna, and herring are good sources of the hunger-quashing Omega 3 healthy fats which send cues to your brain that you’re feeling satisfied. Omega 3 acids keep blood sugar levels stable and ease inflammation, helping to control metabolism. Plus, they encourage production of the hormone leptin which plays a role in how quickly fat is expended.

Take green tea

Green tea’s antioxidants are well known. Even better news is the active ingredient called catechin, which can accelerate metabolism. After a series of research in dieters, it was found that those who regularly took green tea lost extra weight compared to those who did not, signifying the role of catechins in improving fat oxidation plus thermogenesis. So, how many cups do you have to take? Well, drinking five cups of green tea every day can crank up your energy use by ninety calories per day. Even though it may well seem like a lot of tea to drink, drinking it iced makes it easier.

Making small lifestyle adjustments and applying these tips as part of your routine may help crank up your metabolic rate. A fast metabolism will translate into weight loss and keep weight gain at bay while providing you with increased energy.

As implied by its name, breakfast is literally breaking a fast, because you haven’t eaten since your last meal. It helps jump-start the body’s metabolism. That explains why breakfast is often referred to as the most crucial meal of the day.

If you don’t eat for a prolonged period, the body is inclined to store energy as fat reserves instead of burning it. If you’re used to skipping breakfast and not eating anything until lunch, which totals to about sixteen hours since your last meal, you run the risk of fat storage because your body isn’t sure when it will next be replenished. Therefore, people who opt to skip breakfast in the belief that they are avoiding calories are more likely to face obstacles in the attempts to lose weight. In contrast, people who take breakfast regularly experience improved weight loss.

With that said, what are breakfast choices that could enhance your metabolism and consequently burn fat deposits?

Raspberries

A full cup of raspberries provides you an astonishing 8 grams of fiber. In fact, that’s twice as much as what a full cup of strawberries gives you and about an equal amount in a cup of some varieties of beans. What’s so special about fiber? Studies have found that fiber fills you up and has zero calories. It prevents weight gain since you feel full and have no desire to eat anything else for the better part of the morning. It’s the ideal ingredient for losing weight.

Oatmeal

Another fiber-rich food for breakfast is oatmeal. It is sugar-free. Eating oatmeal leads to weight loss through two ways. To start with, it comprises of fiber which helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Second, it features slow-release carbohydrates which help burn fat. Slow-release carbs does not raise blood sugar levels as high as consuming refined carbs like white toast. In effect, insulin levels remain steady. Given that insulin sends a signal to your body to stock up fat deposits, having low blood sugar levels leads to burning of more fat. You can cook your oatmeal in milk. If you wish to add more flavor, consider throwing in fruits such as blueberries, banana slices, and raisins as toppings.

Whole-wheat bread

No breakfast is complete without carbohydrates; however, the type of carbs you eat can make a massive difference when it comes to weight loss. Remember, whole wheat plus other whole grains are essential slow-release carbs and have more fiber and nutrients compared to their white, refined equivalents. What you apply to the bread also matters. Top the bread with some almond butter or an egg rather than butter.

Peanut butter

Another breakfast meal for promoting weight loss is nuts. You can dollop peanut butter on your wheat-toast and gobble it for breakfast. Additionally, you could also add nuts into your oatmeal which is another example of a slow-release carb. If you’re allergic to peanuts, a good alternative would be almond butter. It’s a good source of protein and delicious when spread on whole grain bread.

Eggs

Eggs are rich in protein and are often staples of recommended diets given to those who enroll for weight loss program. In contrast to carbs and fats, proteins keep you feeling full for a long time. As a result, you don’t have cravings for food after eating your breakfast. Therefore, your body will burn more calories than those just consumed.

Green tea

Consider drinking green tea rather than coffee. Coffee has more caffeine which leaves you less hydrated. In contrast, green tea helps to accelerate your body’s metabolism which in turn sees you burn more calories while at the same time speeding up the rate at which the body uses fat deposits.

The next time you want to rush out of the door without taking breakfast, remember the adverse effects of weight gain associated with skipping breakfast. This should persuade you to prepare any of the breakfast foods mentioned above.

Planning your meals when trying to lose weight may look and sound easy, but in reality, you have to consider a couple of things. Why? Because when you are trying to achieve a suitable meal plan perfect for your weight loss journey, you are not just simply choosing foods. Rather, you have to select those that are healthy and meet the nutritional needs of your body.

To kick-start your meal-planning journey towards better health and weight loss, we have written a few tips that you can use in conjunction with a weight loss program in Singapore.

Know how much calories you need to take per day
It is important to know how much calories per day you need in order to sustain your body and help you have the energy to function. You can determine your recommended daily intake by researching or for more accurate data, by consulting a professional. Once you already know your recommended daily intake, it becomes much easier to plan down your meals.

Determine your budget
Trying to lose weight can be a bit expensive but it will definitely pay off in the end. The next thing that you have to consider when planning your meal is your budget. Sometimes, healthy food costs a lot more expensive than the food we eat every day. Spending more on healthier food will be money well spent as you will increase your chances of avoiding diseases further down the road, saving on potential health costs.

Collect recipes
The easiest way to plan your meals is to research your recipes and know its ingredients. Find recipes that you think are most suitable for you and your needs, and start working from there. Also, determining which recipes you want to recreate for a specific week can save you time planning and you can worry less about what to eat. Another benefit from having recipes planned ahead is that you already know which groceries you need.

Know your portions
Knowing your portions is an effective way to track how much you have eaten. To keep you on track for your weight loss journey, knowing how much you should have for each type of food is important. This keeps you in the know about the number of calories each serving contains.

Choose alternatives
To prevent your taste buds from getting tired of the same food every day, consider planning alternatives every now and then. Surely, there are various options available in the market or grocery shops that you can work on. It is important to have variety because it is something that makes meal planning exciting. You will look forward to your meals more if they contain a big variety of tastes and culinary styles. It is also more likely for you to stick with your weight loss meals.

These are five of the most important meal planning tips that you can consider. Have fun planning your meals and good luck on your weight loss journey!

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