After the holidays, many people will try to lose weight to get back into shape. This is not easy, especially after the amount of junk food and rich cuisine eaten during these busy few weeks. The struggle with post-holiday weight gain is something pervasive, but it doesn’t have to be traumatic. By following a healthy diet and engaging in moderate activity, you can take off that holiday weight effectively and in a healthy way.
But here are some tips for losing weight properly after the holidays:
1. Don’t crash diet
Crash diets are when you cut down your calorie intake to a dangerous level to lose weight quickly. This method is unhealthy and can cause you to gain more weight. Not only does it lead to an unhealthy relationship with food, but you will also feel exhausted and likely to give up on your new eating plan before long. Most importantly, crash dieting doesn’t allow the body sufficient time to reset itself, which means that whatever weight you do lose might come back pretty easily when things return to normal.
2. Exercise moderately
You don’t have to be a marathon runner or gym buff to lose some holiday weight properly. Many people make the mistake of starting an exercise regime at full speed once January comes around. This often leads to an injury or an early burnout, which can be very discouraging.
If you want to start exercising, remember to take it easy and slowly build up your stamina each day. Before long, you will be able to tackle more strenuous workouts without tiring yourself out so quickly. It’s also crucial that you listen to your body. If something feels wrong or painful, stop doing it immediately.
3. Eat well
It is vital that you eat healthy during this time because the holiday season can cause us to forget some of our healthy eating habits. Whether it’s an office party or an indulgent Christmas dinner with family, our diets temporarily fall apart over the holidays period. Therefore instead of ‘dieting’ in an impulse to take off the holiday weight, you must make an effort to include all your necessary food groups each day. It’s just more challenging for those who have anorexia to follow an effective weight loss plan, and effective anorexia treatment should be sought in such cases.
4. Monitor your progress
Some weight gain will inevitably occur in this time, but don’t fret because it can be taken off in no time. By keeping an eye on the scales and watching out for problem areas where you are holding onto fat, you can treat them before they become a real issue later down the line.
5. Set realistic goals
It is important that you set yourself a worthwhile goal and not just something that will be easy to reach. For example, telling yourself that you will lose X number of pounds in the first week of January is an unrealistic promise for many people because it takes more than seven days to lose weight properly. Set your sights on what is achievable, and don’t give up when you feel like everything is going wrong. It’s all about persevering until you get where you want to be!
6. Find support
If possible, surround yourself with friends and family who are supportive of your new healthy eating plan. Having people behind you can make all the difference when times get tough. It might also help to join online forums dedicated to weight loss because you can find tips and tricks from people who have been through the struggle before.
7. Don’t be too hard on yourself if things go wrong
We are all human beings with good days and bad days—whether it is during the holiday season or not. So don’t beat yourself up if you stray from your diet or accidentally eat something unhealthy because everyone deserves a mistake now and then; just try again at tomorrow’s meal.
8. Remember that it is a long-term project
You want to achieve a weight loss goal without doing anything drastic. Rather than going on a strict diet for a month, try to make small lifestyle changes that last for the long term. This means that you will avoid quick fixes and fad diets which are often unhealthy and unlikely to keep the weight off in the future.
With a positive mindset, good support network, and dedication to your new plan, you will be well on your way to having a healthy relationship with food once again. So don’t give up—after all this time of overindulging, it’s going to take a lot more than a bit of weight gain for you to tip the scales back into unhealthy territory. You must stay committed because no one should have to live a life of excess. By taking off the holiday weight properly, you are not only doing something good for yourself but also helping those around you as well.
