3 tips for spending a healthy Christmas vacation (well, as much as possible) and not ruining your diet

That’s it, the Christmas holidays are here . And it’s a great time to share with family, friends and all the people you love. (plus there are gifts, at some point.) That said, when you’re trying to have a relatively healthy lifestyle, it can be stressful (not to say frank angst.) Christmas, it’s also synonymous with very fatty stuff , very sweet cakes, a lot of alcohol (that depends on your traditions, eh. But at home we have a heavy hand on champagne and red wine. And I’m not complaining, but it must be taken into account.) As a result, often diets and other wishes to maintain a stable weight / gain muscle / do good to his body are a little proven .

But this is no reason to drop everything . It is quite possible to limit the damage – or even avoid it altogether. If you want to let it go and see it in January, no worries, but it’s always more difficult to lose 10 pounds than 5, and always more complicated to rebuild muscle than to keep preciously the one you already have. So it’s up to you to see what you prioritize this year  (I force no one to pay attention, eh, if you want to crack completely, there is no worry and no value judgment.)

In the meantime, here are 3 tips for those who have decided to be careful – while having fun anyway, of course.

1. We keep our goals in mind – and we have fun without going wild

It seems difficult, but in fact, to be a minimum sensible and reasonable is really not Wizard. If you have chosen to be a little careful (I insist heavily on this so that I am not called a grinch, you do well as you want!), There are silly methods to limit calorie intake.

• We think about portions. Even though the dishes served are large, you don’t have to fill your plate to the top – or finish everything. Your loved ones can understand that you don’t want to overdo it, just say two words to them. So if you’re helping yourself, think of 5 tablespoons of starchy foods, 1 pack of meat / fish playing cards, and about double the veg. It makes a nice plate anyway, and that naturally limits. We eat slowly, because it takes 20 minutes for the brain to crash into when we are no longer hungry, and we stop when we feel that our appetite is drying up. It is NOT useful to eat when you are no longer hungry. It doesn’t even please and we are in pain afterwards. So listen to your body, no but oh.
• We don’t pull ourselves together. Sounds stupid, but it’s already a great start. Yes, this coq au vin is excellent, but the second plate will be no better than the first – and that makes you double the energy intake, while on the one hand, you don’t need that energy, d on the other hand, you have to save room for dessert. It’s no use eating over and over again, you know you’re not going to feel good afterwards anyway. Having a swollen belly, slow movements, wanting to sleep … and then, if you’re like me, you blame yourself as a bonus. So we do honor to the dish, YES, because the meats in sauce are great, and the cheese too .. but once that’s enough
• We avoid the aperitif cookies. In short, anything that nibbles, which is industrial therefore not very interesting and full of bad fat and salt, or even sugar. So drop me that handful of Pringles, and wait for the smoked salmon instead. You have all the other evenings to eat crisps, so for Christmas, try to prefer the quality.
• We count our drinks of alcohol. Because yes, it is liquid but it is also calories (you can read the article I devoted to alcohol or the one on which drink to choose if you want to drink anyway) But above all, and you know what I’m talking about, it takes a bit of your common sense. As a result, you tend to drink more and eat more “because too bad”. And it is precisely this awareness that we must keep a minimum. So 2 drinks to make the discussions on politics and other bad things tolerable, yes. But we avoid finishing all the glasses, typing in the digestives, and making an Irish Coffee afterwards.
• We don’t keep leftovers. and that’s a crucial point, but okay we have fun the same day, because it’s party time, the next day it’s more party time and be tempted to continue eating foie gras, or leftover logs, it’s a great way to send your body the message “I eat fatty and sweet every day so I’ll be you I’ll stock up”. Make doggy bags for friends and family, and cook in reasonable portions. We don’t make a turkey for 12 if we are 4 at the table. It is a matter of common sense.
• And finally, you don’t eat to please someone else. I will say it again, but food is fuel, energy that you give your body to make it work. If you don’t need it, and you aren’t or no longer hungry, don’t eat. We all have a grandmother who insists on getting more pie or more pasta. I know it’s not easy, but learn to say no. It’s a little frustrating, but in the end your family isn’t going to love you any less if you just take the log once. I promise.

2. We move around as much as possible – yes, even if it’s cold.

So, yeah, okay, jogging outside is less desirable when it’s dark and there is ice. I can hear that. On the other hand, that’s no reason to stay slumped all day on the sofa. Because ultimately, if you increase your calorie expenditure, you will definitely be able to eat more. Just don’t stand there and do nothing. Ideas? There are plenty.

• Go for a walk: If you’re in town, go visit things, you have time, it’s vacation. If you are in the countryside you are in luck, the scenery is beautiful and walking is anything but an ordeal. Go outside!
• Go for a run : same principle. It’s cold at first, but it feels really good.
• Going to the swimming pool – because it’s heated, it changes, and we often don’t go when we don’t have too much time. This is great cardio and the perfect exercise for toning and lengthening the body.
• Go to the gym – that’s my personal solution, but even 30min of cardio on the days when we are going to eat too much, it is already 200kcal that does not go not store. That’s always the case. We don’t relax muscle building efforts either – especially if the holiday meals are rich in protein, you might as well take the opportunity to build muscle – too.
• doing outdoor activities – There are plenty of ice rinks and other races, walks, etc. being organized around this time. And then you go see family, there are probably children, and go for a run in the garden to chase a 5-year-old kid, that’s already a sport in its own right.
• if you have any other ideas, I’m interested!

3. We don’t have too much trouble either

 Yes, you are probably going to overeat on Christmas Eve and the next day at noon. Like EVERYONE. And yet, we will not all gain 10,000 kilos. If you eat too much, there are no dead men (the advice I give in the article on “I ate too much – what to do?” Also applies during the holiday season, eh.) We relax, it’s only once a year. Christmas and your birthday, if there are many times when you can let go of the ballast .. Especially if your eating habits are healthy the vast majority of the time, your body will understand that it is exceptional and not to take it into account (especially one does not starve the next day , eh, it is the best way to indicate to your body that it is necessary to store in dead because you starve it after every extra.)

And finally, it’s no big deal to take 1, 2 or 3kilos. We don’t care. You will take advantage of the days off you have left to get into sport properly and get rid of all that, and you’ll make lots of good resolutions for 2016. A healthy lifestyle is about making the best choices for your body, but it’s also about having fun. And this is not a passing fad or a momentary diet. This is something that will follow you throughout your life, so you can take one mini step back before taking 15 steps forward. So we breathe, the next day we eat a little less, and EVERYTHING WILL GO GOOD