How to lose weight in Christmas

Winter time is the most dangerous period concerning weight gain, especially the festive period. It gets dark quicker, a lot of people want feel-good hormones from chocolate, they ‘stash’, they feel more hungry and more depressed.
There is less motivation to be fit and eat healthy than in spring when you are getting ready for the swimsuit season. We are prone to relax thinking that the few extra kilos will be covered by the darker clothes and the big coats.

Then after Christmas, we step on the scale and can't believe how much weight we gained in a week or two. This will be followed by irrealistic New Year's resolutions how we're going to reform our life from the 1st of January.
These things won't work for the long haul. Our promises made for ourselves will more than likely fail, which will make us feel even worse that ‘we couldn't even do that’. It's a vicious circle.

But it doesn't have to be like that we always have a choice. Let's see what we can do throughout the festive period so in January the scale will show us what we want. Or at least not more what we're used to.

Healthy Christmas food

I don't want to preach about diet or talk about how to have great abs. I just want to give some advice about living more healthy so you'll feel good physically and mentally.
There are a lot of healthy Christmas recipes available, and you don't have to eat fatty food because ‘it's a tradition.' Reform the Christmas menu prepare something healthy but yummy this year! Not all healthy food tastes bad.
Be innovative in the kitchen as well!

Careful with the booze
You can try to convince yourself that dry wine or vodka-soda are diet drinks but you'd lie to yourself. Consuming any form of alcohol contributes to weight gain! This doesn't mean you can't drink, but you have to act responsibly.
Choose dry wine (preferably red) or champagne, and drink only one glass.

Oh, those family visits

This time of the year everybody is visiting family and friends. You meet for a nice lunch or dinner. It's not a problem, but you don't have to eat everything they put in front of you. You must be able to say no, and you shouldn't eat through the whole menu because that's the ‘rule' there.

It's okay to choose a dessert and a main dish or the main dish with dessert. Or you can substitute the latter with a cappuccino. You should be able to say no when you feel like eating some more, but you are actually full. It helps a lot if you learn how to eat slowly. Your brain needs at least 20 minutes to ‘realize' you are full. Enjoy the tastes, eat slowly and set yourself some boundaries.

Before bed
You should eat your last meal at least three hours before bedtime. Don't go to sleep with a full stomach because it will bother you while your waistline will expand ‘nicely.’
Have an earlier dinner so your body can use up the nutrients. Don't eat any carbohydrates by then (bread, pasta, potatoes, rice) if possible.

Move!
I don't like winter sports, but don't worry, that's not what I was thinking about. A nice walk with a friend (or even alone while listening to your favorite music) can be relaxing and refreshing while you also burn some fat. Get dressed and take a long walk after your meal. If you like busy places, try to visit a lot of Christmas fairs.

Excercise at home!

This time for a change I'm not thinking about push-ups or kettlebell or yoga mats. Light a lovely scented candle, take a relaxing bath then start some horizontal training with your partner! It's not just an excellent way to burn calories (especially if you try other positions besides the missionary), but it's great against stress and depression.
December is the time for snuggles!