Ah, the holidays. It’s a time for all the most delicious treats out there. It’s the season where we celebrate with family by eating Christmas ham, enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, and of course, attend tons of parties with friends. Unfortunately, all those indulgences have an unintended side effect that isn’t too fun: weight gain.
There’s a reason why sticking to a diet is so hard this season. It’s just too easy to forget about dieting, or just to forgive yourself for that “one extra slice of pie.” But, thankfully, dieting is not impossible – and if you’re careful, you can even lose weight this season. Find out how below!
Tip #1: Chew your food, and savor the flavor.
When we eat, we tend to forget about actually chewing the food in our mouths. We just pop bite-sized pieces of goodies into our mouths, chew just enough to break it down, then swallow. Believe it or not, that’s now how chewing is supposed to work. When we chew, our body releases digestive enzymes that let us break down food easier. Our brains also signal to our body that we’re getting fuller. By chewing longer, we get the full benefits of both. That’s why studies show that people who chew their food longer tend to be more slender. Moreover, chewing also helps us fully enjoy the flavor of the food, too. Mindful eating is a thing, and this is actually the reason why the first bite of food tends to taste the best.
Tip #2: Switch to smaller, darker plates.
Our brains are a lot easier to fool than you’d want to believe. Studies have shown switching to smaller plates can strongly reduce portion control, which in turn helps weight loss. Additional studies showed that people who ate on a blue or black plate tended to feel fuller faster than those who ate on white plates. Who knew?
Tip #3: Upgrade your protein intake.
Say what you will about the Atkins Diet, but there’s definitely a lot of truth to it – at least when it comes to protein intake. This is because eating large amounts of protein has been linked to drops in two hunger-causing hormones: GLP-1 and ghrelin. Studies have shown that people who increased protein intake from 15% to 30% felt less hungry throughout the day – and ended up dropping their caloric intake by as much as 440 calories per day! The study participants also lost an average of 11 pounds over the course of 12 weeks, all without sticking to a diet.
Even eating eggs for breakfast can help you lose a lot of weight. Women who ate eggs instead of serial ate less throughout the day, and also burned more energy.
Tip #4: Grab a supplement or two.
Supplements might have a dodgy rep, but not all of them are bad. Protein powder and vitamins are dietary supplements that have long been known to improve weight loss in a healthy, safe manner for years. The reason why is because protein and other vitamins help increase muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so it makes sense to build muscle if you want to lose weight. Wondering about what vitamins to take?Naturally-occurring vitamins like B12, B6, B3, and B9 have been linked to better muscle-building. And, yes, they’re available in a fully-digestible supplement form, too. For example, RARI Nutrition has an awesome supplement that has amino acids and a full formulated vitamin program for people who want to shed pounds.
Tip #5: Drink more ice water.
A lot of time, people tend to mistake thirst for hunger – and there’s reason for this. Our bodies are wired to try to seek out food during times of drought, because there would be trace amounts of water in it. to try to seek out food during times of drought, because there would be trace amounts of water in it. The problem now isn’t that we’re running out of water; it’s that we don’t register when we’re thirsty and when we’re hungry. That’s why drinking water before every meal is a great way to lose weight. It makes you feel fuller, and also helps your body signal that you’re satisfied. But wait, there’s more to this than just getting fuller faster. The reason why ice water is such a huge weight loss aid is due to its temperature. Our bodies spend a lot of calories just keeping us warm. Ice water reduces our core temperatures just a end result is a faster metabolism without any effort.
Bonus Tip: Mellow out!
Yes, stress can make you gain weight – and that’s thanks to the stress hormone known as cortisol. A major problem for many dieters is that the holiday seasons are going to be stressful for a lot of us. However, there are ways to mitigate this and keep back on track. Go, have fun with your family. Take a walk in the woods, or hit up a December yoga class. Tis’ the season for joy, so partake in all the joy you can!