Holiday Indulgence Control is Sexy!
The holiday season is here, and unfortunately for your waistline, it’s a time of indulgence when it comes to food. But we want to keep it sexy right? We’re going to look at 5 strategies to help you curb your holiday cravings and keep things under control, real control!
The best part of this plan is that you still get to have fun, but just be smart about how you approach these holidays. This is one time of year we get to de-stress and forget about work and all other life-crap so let’s enjoy the holidays to their fullest.
In the midst of all your socializing and snacking, let’s simply minimize the impact of holiday eating with a few simple tips and strategies we can all take advantage of…
5 Ways to Curb Cravings this Holiday Season (without ruining all the fun!)
1. Don’t Give Up on Breakfast
It all starts with your first meal of the day. At the very least, start each day this holiday season with a healthy, balanced breakfast. This should include a decent serving of protein (15-20 grams), some healthy complex carbs for energy, and lots of vitamin and mineral support. A little fiber works well in there too.
By eating a healthy, balanced breakfast, you’ll reduce the likelihood of experiencing unwanted cravings later in the day. Protein and fiber are especially helpful for keeping you feeling full and satisfied. It’s also a great way to get yourself into a healthy eating mindset from the get-go. For some great breakfast ideas, check out my Healthy Breakfast Ideas article.
2. Drink More Tea
Studies have shown that a variety of teas can curb your appetite and cravings, making tea an easy and affordable solution to your holiday cravings. Follow up a meal with a satisfying herbal peppermint tea, or have a cup of green tea instead of a mid-morning snack. You’ll notice the cravings disappear in just a few sips.
It’s amazing how well this strategy works, and there are a number of holiday tea flavors that won’t leave you feeling like you’re missing out.
3. Keep a Glass of Water by Your Side
Drinking water before and during a meal is another great way to curb holiday cravings. Make sure you drink some water before you start eating, and drink throughout the meal. Not only does it help you feel full faster, it also aids in digestion.
You’ll find that many of my cravings are really just the result of dehydration. And with the holidays being so busy, it’s easy to forget to stay hydrated. So next time you feel a craving coming on, have a glass of water and especially between those glasses of wine. Simple and totally works, you’re welcome!
4. Get Some Herbal Help
You can also start your New Year’s resolution early, and try an appetite-suppressing herbal supplement this holiday season. The result isn’t going to be too extreme, so you don’t need to worry about missing out altogether. But a natural supplement can be a great way to keep things under control.
One of the highest reviewed natural appetite-suppressants on the market is Green Foods Matcha Green Tea.
5. Sleep Better, and Try Not to Stress
It may sound like a bit of a challenge over the holidays, but getting your stress under control and getting a good night’s sleep can have a big impact on your holiday cravings.
With added stress, our bodies crave more sugar and fatty foods, and our appetite in general is sort of thrown out off track. If you can get your holiday stress under control, you’ll experience fewer cravings, and you’ll likely find yourself reaching for a few less cookies.
The other key ingredient here is sleep. Just like stress, sleep can take a pretty big hit for most of us. But unfortunately, this in turn has a big impact on our appetite and cravings. In fact, at least three different hormones involved in regulating hunger and appetite are negatively impacted by one night of poor sleep.
So what it comes down to is that if you can get your sleep under control, you’ll get a handle on those holiday cravings. Take a look at my Quick Sleep Remedies for some extra help.
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Thank you for visiting! Weight Loss and Training is a health blog which features all the best weight loss tips that I have learned over my 20 years of training. My background includes a degree in Kinesiology from the world renown Simon Fraser University, certification in nutritional sciences from UBC, and Personal Trainer Specialist certification from Can Fit Pro.