There’s no big secret to losing weight and keeping it off. Physicians tell us time after time that it’s a matter of maintaining a balanced diet and exercising regularly. But for many of us, those two factors fall by the wayside every year when the holidays roll around. We allow ourselves to indulge for various reasons (celebration, tradition, stress). Statistically, the amount of weight gained during the fall/winter holiday season ranges from one pound to five. Some of that is easily dropped as we return to our normal schedules and diets, but portions of it stick around long after New Year’s day has come and gone, potentially carrying over into the next holiday season. If you’re looking to shed those extra holiday pounds for good, here are the most effective methods.
Conscientious Eating
You’ve probably been told at some point in your life to watch what you eat. It’s sound advice for sure, but it’s always possible to gain weight with “healthy” foods, too. There are psychological factors at play that can cause you to overeat. Elements that impact your mood, such as lighting, noise level, and physical comfort, can lead you to eat beyond the point where you’re actually hungry. The advice is useful even when you aren’t eating in a comfortable environment, however, because it also helps you to eat mindfully. Eating slowly, or simply chewing more, is an easy way to ensure you don’t eat in excess. Not only is conscientious eating a great way to prevent overeating during the holidays, but it also aids in weight loss after the fact.
Small Exercises
In modern life, we don’t always have time to hit the gym. It’s not always possible to devote half an hour a day to a workout. But the good news is that your physical activity over the day is cumulative. By making small adjustments to what you already do in your daily life, you can sneak that workout into your day via small doses. Increasing your physical activity can be as simple as taking the stairs rather than the elevator, or walking instead of driving or using public transportation. These may seem like insignificant changes at first, but by introducing them to your life they can develop into impactful habits.
Surgery
Despite best efforts and dedication to diet and exercise, fat deposits can create “trouble areas” throughout the body that are difficult to address. It’s discouraging for someone who has put everything into losing weight to find that certain areas, like their stomach, thighs, or chest, are unaffected. Procedures like liposuction and abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, are effective ways to remove excess fat and, in the case of tummy tucks, to restore weakened muscles to reshape the body’s appearance.
The holidays are supposed to be a time of warmth and cheer. Don’t let the fear of weight gain keep you from enjoying them with your friends and family, and keep these practical solutions in mind.
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