3 Ways To Avoid Gaining Belly Fat Over Christmas

With Christmas just around the corner, your fitness and healthy eating schedule can be easily forgotten. Everybody is entitled to a few treats over Christmas, but you don't want to start suddenly gaining belly fat when you've been trying to lose it for the past few months. Controlling your weight and fitness over the Christmas period can be easy if you plan ahead and carry on with your workout routines.

Here are 3 ways to avoid gaining belly fat over Christmas:

1. Quick Workouts

Resistance and strength training is one of the best ways to avoid gaining belly fat at any time whether it's Christmas or not. If lack of time is an issue, do your workout in the morning so it's done before everything else. Try combining exercises together to save time, such as squats with an overhead press or lunges with a bicep curl. Also, get some cardio exercise into your day by using the stairs at work, parking your car a bit further away from your destination or get off one stop early if you're using public transport. You can also plan things to do during the Christmas break like a walk after lunch or games in the park.

2. Watch What You Eat And Drink

Over-eating lots of high-calorie, non-nutritious foods is one of the main reasons for gaining belly fat during the Christmas holidays. But if you follow a rule of portion control, it will help. For example, if you're eating from a buffet, take what you want and then go and sit somewhere else. If you eat next to the table you will eat more. Also, eat small, healthy meals or snacks throughout the day to keep your energy up and then you can enjoy your main meal without over-eating because you're feeling starved.

Alcohol is a major cause of fat belly weight gain. Two bottles of beer can have more calories than a large slice of sponge cake. To avoid gaining belly fat when enjoying your favourite tipple over Christmas, opt for a low calorie mixer or soda. Also drinking water in between alcoholic drinks is a good way to minimize your calorie intake and also helps to keep you hydrated.

3. Control Your Stress

Christmas can be a stressful time and stress is a one of the reasons for gaining belly fat. When you're extremely stressed, your body produces cortisol, which can increase fat storage in the stomach area. Many people turn to comfort foods, like chocolate, when dealing with stress. The key is to be conscious of your stress and try different techniques before turning to food for relief. Exercise is a great stress reliever, so don't give up on your workouts. Another way to control stress is to slow down your breathing. Deep breathing can help slow your heart rate and blood pressure while relaxing the muscles and calming the mind.

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How To Eat Out Without Gaining Weight

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Increasingly busy lifestyles, long working hours and numerous daily commitments mean that eating out has become a routine part of modern life. Unfortunately for those who enjoy a restaurant meal, it is likely to mean many extra kilojoules thanks to the mix of larger portion sizes, the heavy use of oil, butter and sauces as well as numerous courses. So if you do find yourself eating out regularly, here is your fail-safe guide to enjoy it without gaining weight.

Always have a snack before you go

Arriving at a restaurant or function starving is a recipe for disaster when it comes to kilojoule control. Not only are you more likely to order much more than you require, you are also more likely to succumb to extras like bread, entrees and drinks. When we eat out, it also often means we are eating a meal later than we usually would. For this reason, grabbing a protein-rich snack like a nut or protein bar, vege sticks with cottage cheese or hommus, or even a protein shake an hour or two before your meal will help to take the edge of your hunger so that you are able to make better choices off the menu.

Choose your cuisines carefully

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Indian, Chinese and Thai foods in particular tend to be extremely high in fat because they involve high-fat sauces, like those made of coconut milk, as well as batters and large volumes of oil for frying. When high-fat curries and fried foods are then eaten with large amounts of white rice, noodles and breads, it is easy to see how a kilojoule overload can result. Ideally high-fat cuisines need to be consumed sparingly, just once or twice a month, and it is best to choose plain dishes like vegetable stir-fries, curries and salads over deep-fried options.

Focus on lighter options

Japanese, Greek and even Modern Australian cuisines have a wider range of menu options, which can help you to make healthier choices. Any sort of raw fish, grilled meat or seafood will be a great choice, especially when teamed with a large portion of vegetables or salad.

Size is everything

The truth be known, if we simply ate smaller portions of everything, far fewer of us would have a weight problems. Few of us really need an entree as well as a main course and for most of us an entree-sized portion of heavier foods such as pasta or risotto will be more than sufficient. When the meals are brought out to the table, if serves of pasta, rice or meat are far larger than you need, visualise how much you will eat and then take the excess off your plate and share with your fellow diners.

Always share dessert

When it comes to desserts, no one is saying that you have to avoid them completely, but remember that the most pleasure of a dessert is gained in the first few mouthfuls, so keep your portions small. When you consider that the average serve of dessert will contain as many kilojoules as an entire meal, it makes sense to share your favourite dessert with as many people as possible.

Add vegetables

One the biggest issues with meals consumed away from the home is that they rarely contain the amounts of vegetables or salad that we need for good health and to help us feel full and satisfied. Even though they can be expensive when ordered as sides, it is worth ordering extras to help bulk up your meal so you are not tempted by extra chips or bread.

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