12 Tips to a Guilt Free Christmas

At this time of the year we find ourselves having to read all sorts of contrasting advice on how to approach our diet during the festive season: don’t put on weight, but eat anything you want. Enjoy your favourite foods, but not too much. Celebrate, but don’t get fat.

Truth is: you choose.

We’ve had a tough year not to mention a terrible weekend, one that no one expected to have to deal with in their lifetime. Having the kids home (AGAIN?! They just never left. We love you, but you are a handful) amongst all other things will probably be enough to deal with.

Most of us will now be unable to see family and friends as we thought, so if you feel that food can provide you some comfort then go ahead. Remember, you have unconditional permission to eat, now and always. This is just a reminder, you don’t need our or anyone else’s permission to do so!

It’s what you do most of the time towards your goals that matters, so if you take a few days off you’ll still know what to do to get back on track. These holidays only last 2 weeks, so you still have the other 50 in a year to make progress. Just look at these two weeks as a diet break: instead of feeling out of shape and sluggish by the end of it, you are more likely to feel motivated to go again!

What we fail to remember sometimes is that food provides us energy and nutrients that are essential for a healthy life; but it’s also enjoyment which is just as vital for a happy life (mental health counts just as much as physical health!). If we don’t enjoy what we eat, we just won’t stick any plans in the long term. If eating some chicken breast and a salad while the kids go to town with roast turkey and potatoes makes you feel miserable, then maybe it’s time to reconsider your relationship with food as it’s too rigid. You are likely to eventually give in to the temptation and stuff yourself silly “because you’ve ruined it anyway!”. What if you were more flexible and had the turkey and potatoes in the first place? If that was your plan, you might not eat as much and just be more satisfied and happier.

It’s true that you might not lose any weight during the festivities, you might even put something on. But you know what?

THAT IS FINE!

You can get back on track with your weight loss plan at a different time (our next aceTRANSFORM intakes starts on the 4th of January and places are going fast*hint hint*).

If you want to enjoy your food, but you don’t want to deal with the uncomfortable feeling of being too full and sluggish, here are our top tips for a mindful Christmas – remember, it doesn’t need to be a choice between feeling deprived or feeling full to the point of sickness, there’s an ocean in between the two!:

1. Try to keep most of your food intake to one meal only and have snacks/light meals throughout the rest of the day.

2. Don’t starve yourself waiting for that meal, you might be better off having a small snack beforehand so that you don’t eat too much too quickly out of wild hunger.

3. Pick the leanest protein (white fish, chicken/turkey breast, egg, quorn/tofu) on the table and fill rest of plate with veg.

4. Keep some undressed salad on a side, dressings can be very calorific.

5. Fill your plate with everything you want to eat and discard it as soon as you are done.

6. Try and stick to one course only, or have small portions if having more than one.

7. Drink loads and loads of water to feel full quicker.

8. Keep the bread basket far away from you, the closer it is the more often you are likely to pick from it without even realising!

9. Have some dessert trying to stick to a small portion.

10. If having alcohol, try to stick to a spirit with a sugar free mixer (gin & slimline tonic, vodka & sugar free lemonade/diet coke) as wine and beer are very high in calories.

11. Try to eat when you can focus on it so that it’s easier to notice when you are satisfied with the amount of food you had. If you are in the middle of a conversation, put your fork down.

12. And finally get your family on board, make sure they are your biggest supporters and ask for their help whether it’s to move the roast potatoes to the other end of the table or alert you if you have been mindlessly picking and haven’t realised.

However you decide to handle your nutrition during the holidays, we hope you have the best possible time with your loved ones (in person or virtually!)!

Merry Christmas from the aceTEAM.