How to Spend a Vacation Without Losing Weight
Vacation season is hardly a harbinger of impending health and fitness. Especially when you consider that for many, the December boy from the poster is a sickly obese old man who gorges on cookies and cakes. But despite the abundance of treats and temptations, this does not mean that your diet will collapse. Below we discuss a structure you can use to stick to your plan.
How Holidays Affect Your Weight
It is an often repeated “fact” that people gain an average of five pounds over the holidays. But this is not true. In fact, research has shown that this number is closestto one pound . Any excess comes down to excess water retention from carbohydrates and salt, not actual fat tissue, so it will disappear in a day or two.
But beyond the bloated number on the scale (sorry for the bad pun), it helps to put things in perspective. The fact is that the average adult gains about 0.5-1 kg per year. Also, on holidays, your weight is just as likely to increase as in the following months, due to the usual seasonal fluctuations in body weight. This is not to say that changes in temperature and humidity are to blame for what you put in your mouth (and, temporarily, in your belt). It’s just that it’s okay to be harder on the holidays, and you shouldn’t worry and punish yourself because of it.
Instead, rethink your efforts and adjust your goals over the holiday season. Since November and December are essentially months of socially favored hedonism, it’s unrealistic to assume that you will be able to lose weight at your normal pace (unless you consider deprivation a worthy way to celebrate). It is contextually realistic to strive to maintain your weight and health during this period. Given the evidence, this is already a big win.
Schedule planned “outages” in your calendar
You can not only prevent seasonal weight gain, but also to lose weight during the holidays – with the proviso that at you have properly structured calorie program – adhering to a few simple strategies.
The first tactic is to identify all the events you intend to host in your holiday food. For example, Thanksgiving Christmas Dinner, Your Company Holiday Party, and SantaCon (for us classless degenerates). Once you’ve identified them, divide your events into three categories:
- High indulgence: These are events that are inextricably linked to fatty foods and sugary desserts. Thanksgiving and Christmas fall into this category, as does New Years Eve if you plan on drinking a fair amount of alcohol .
- Medium Pampering: Seasonal holidays with a high likelihood of temptation. These are the days when whatever you want to eat or drink is laid out for you, but without social pressure from the consumer. Working groups usually fall into this category.
- Limited indulgence: There are holiday temptations these days, but they are either not so pleasant or no one is encouraging you to break your diet. If you choose to pamper yourself, you will not do any harm if you plan to do so with a flexible diet .
Now, from Thanksgiving (which is November 26th this year) to New Years, mark all relevant events, parties, and dinners on your calendar. From this list, you can choose a total of four days of pleasure, 4 days of average pleasure, and as many limited days of indulgence as you like. By doing this and following the instructions below, you should be able to survive the holiday season with your belt (relatively) intact.
How to Plan Your Vacation Consumption
Days of enjoyment
These are the simplest and most enjoyable of the three. Basically, it’s a prison escape card: pretend you’re not dieting or attaching absolutely no benefits to your health and appearance. Eat whatever you want and how much you want.
The emphasis here is that there are no restrictions. You might think that choosing “healthy foods” and reducing your portion size will do you a favor in the future, but this is not the case. On the contrary, reminding yourself of your diet will simply take you out of this moment and most likely ruin your guilt. Don’t ruin it for yourself – be present and enjoy, because that’s what the holidays are about.
Average days of indulgence
Unlike pleasure days, you don’t allow yourself to be freely disposed to wreak havoc at the buffet table. While you may not want to eat this way every day, you will be guided by your food choices with a few rules so you can quickly bounce back from any missteps.
The first step is to prioritize protein. The reasons for this are that: It is the most satiating macronutrient, least likely to lead to fat gain, and – let’s face it – guilty pleasures are rarely associated with as much protein as carbohydrates and fats. As a result, linking your intake to your protein needs is an easy way to reduce your calorie intake.
So, what you need to do is know how much protein you need per day . From this, estimate how much protein you will get at the event. If it’s a canteen lunch with a main course, you’ll probably eat around 30g. However, if it’s a cocktail party or happy hour, your nutrient intake is likely to be negligible.
Find the difference between these numbers. Then, have your meal ahead of the event by consuming the remaining protein in the form of lean meats and fibrous vegetables. This way, the day isn’t going to be a holiday for you, and choosing your food wisely in advance is likely to dampen your appetite and spending money during the festivities.
Extra days of indulgence
These days you can have fun, but within certain limits. Know your target calories and macronutrients, and check out the nutritional profiles of your favorite holiday foods. If there is no exact definition of nutrients, learn to keep an eye on it . Armed with this knowledge, you should be able to eat what you want in moderation if all fits.
After all, you shouldn’t expect to be the perfect vacation dieter. You will feel dissatisfied, and any rational diet should not deprive you of the opportunity to spend time with friends and family. So allow yourself to enjoy the holiday simply with balance and moderation, and you can improve your progress as the season goes on.