Seven Holiday Weight Gain Curbing Strategies

1: Feast On Protein
Protein is, by nature, very filling. And by filling up on lean protein, you’ll avoid other, potentially more destructive food items at the buffet.
And best yet, you still leave satisfied. Another benefit of protein is that it also helps your body process carbohydrates more effectively by stimulating the release of the hormone glucagon — a hormone which helps to control blood sugar and curb the fat-storage properties of insulin.
2: Do not Drink Calories
Calories in beverages are wasted calories. They do nothing to increase satiety or fullness, and can very easily tack on a serious amount of caloric damage to any evening.
If you’d like some variety beyond plain water, go with flavored water or other diet beverage.
3: Know Your First Move
As soon as you arrive, before you do anything else, pour yourself a big glass of water, drink it down, and wait 15 minutes before eating anything. This is a simple, extremely effective way to curb your appetite and give yourself a sense of fullness.
4: Be Hospitable
Many times the parties we attend throughout the holidays are “potluck” buffet style where each person is responsible for bringing their own dish to contribute to the menu.
This is a great opportunity for you to contribute something healthy to the table, and in turn make it extremely easy for you to make a healthy choice. Simply eat your own meal. This way you know exactly what’s in it and how it was prepared.
5: Arrive “Full”
Instead of showing up with your stomach growling and mouth salivating, take action to ensure you arrive in the exact opposite position. Eat a big, healthy meal just prior to heading to the party.
6: Be “Normal”
In an effort to avoid the “damage” of a big meal or party, most people don’t eat anything else all day leading up to the big event in order to “save up” the calories. Big mistake. First, when you go into a meal or party incredibly hungry, you will absolutely overeat to a much higher degree than you would otherwise.
Secondly, eating nothing only to follow it up with a big, high-fat/high-carb/high-calorie meal leads to a greater percentage of those calories than normal to be stored as fat.
Eat as you normally would and then hit up the party.
7: Deplete Before “Big” Day
“Prep” for a big day full of food with a depletion workout the day before.
Carbohydrate and fats are actually stored within muscle tissue as an energy source to fuel activity.
Fat is a slower energy source, so something as simple as doing a lot of walking the day before a party is a great way to deplete your store of fat.
As for carb depletion, go with something akin to circuit-style weight training. Keep the load light, do a lot of repetitions, and really “go for the burn.”
For more nutritional advice or weight loss secrets, contact the South Jersey Institute of Functional Nutrition at Olivieri Chiropractic, 1501 Route 47 South, Rio Grande. Call 609-886-8585.