The trouble with Christmas and the whole holiday period is that it is too good an excuse to over-indulge in so many of those things that we shouldn’t. Food and drink, taken in excessive amounts, can pile on the pounds in a very short time. The answer then, in the weeks and months that follow (some estimates suggest that it takes a FULL 3 months to lose the festival bulge!) is to adopt a healthier attitude, and fast!.
You can, of course, take it easy during the holiday period itself but don’t be too hard on yourself if you didn’t! It’s what you do now though that is important and if there are extra pounds to shed then it’s good to get on with it sooner rather than later.
Ok, first thing to do is to look back on what you did and seriously consider cutting out the worst of it. There will have been so many festive treats just begging to be eaten and – come on, be honest! – it is more than likely that you will have indulged yourself to the max every time. From various parties, family visiting and then back home again there will have been so much on offer and, despite buzzing around at top speed, the calorie intact will have been considerable.
Now that things are back to normal though you can take certain steps that will help your recovery no end. What about water intake? Did you know that if you drink a large amount of water before facing a big spread (at a party for example) your appetite will be significantly reduced? Well the same thing applies now. Say you are due to go out for a meal, drink lots of water first.
Either at the party, or at home, a smaller plate is a good option. Filling up a mid-size plate tricks your mind into thinking you have lots of food when, in truth, the portions are much smaller. It helps to try not to load that plate with unhealthy stuff as well – take more fruit and vegetables. Don’t forget also that there are so many tempting looking treats that you can make at home that are actually less calorific than you think. It really is worthwhile to invest in a healthy eating cookbook to see what kind of good stuff you can produce yourself.
Drinking much less alcohol or sugary drinks is such an obvious thing to do if you want to cut down on the calories. No one is suggesting that you should stop enjoying the odd beer or glass of wine, but it should be taken in moderation. Then, probably the most obvious of all, is exercise. Many of us are guilty of not taking enough of it and there is so much you can do without even going near a gym. Walking more, practicing yoga, never taking the elevator – these are things that are relatively easy to do without the expense of equipment or gym membership.
Finally though, if you need some help from a medical professional, there are some fairly non-invasive treatments, including a gentle form of fat removing liposuction to Coolsculpting which is an application placed on the surface of the skin delivering controlled cooling to target and eliminate fat cells.
According to Sydney plastic surgeon, Dr Hunt, both men and women complain that even with exercise, fat deposits remain, settling on the areas such as the tummy, buttocks or below the bra line, while men can often become troubled by excess adipose tissue. A more involved level of surgical treatment is therefore considered.
All of these things can be considered but your own self-discipline and willpower will be the most powerful tools available in the fight against weight reduction, especially at this time of year.
This health and beauty article was written by freelance beauty writer, Hannah Shields.
photo credit https://traineracademy.org/
