Ah! The fabulous Holiday Season – when consuming too much food and alcohol is almost inevitable – is coming up fast. As you probably know, it’s not always easy to strike a balance between delicious treats and weight management. Happily, there are some tips to get you through this festive time of year without sabotaging your weight or your health.

1. To avoid arriving at dinner famished and having a problem keeping control, I suggest you stick to a food routine during the day. Keep having your meals and snacks about every three to four hours apart.

2. When you‘re dining with friends, ask your host if you can serve yourself, so you can manage your portions to suit your appetite. Serve yourself a smaller portion than usual, as you know there will be lots of other things to eat and you want to taste everything.

3. Take advantage of the slower pace of these meals to savour every bite, and pay attention when you feel full.

4. Alternate consuming alcohol with big glasses of water (flat or sparkling) or mocktails (alcohol-free drinks, not too sweet). Aim for one alcoholic drink per hour at the most. That way you’ll avoid abuse and that “morning after” feeling.

5. Instead of cutting out foods and holding back, choose the pleasure of adding different foods and really tasting them! That way you’ll be choosing quality over quantity.

6. Take the time to cook: leaf through your cookbooks, discover new nutritional foods, and reuse your leftovers as ready-to-eat frozen meals. You’ll have a tasty, easier January!

7. And because stress and lack of sleep increase the appetite, try to rest and anticipate planning some physical activities between the preparations and festivities.

Enjoy yourself and…Happy Holidays!

Need a little help to optimize your food routine? Don’t hesitate to contact me via the Clinique Mouvement Optimal: 819 425-8889.

By the same author: The vegan athlete (Click the image below)