There’s a collective sigh of relief in the air – it’s the end of the year! At the same time we are all looking down at our bellies and telling ourselves to be ‘good’ this Christmas. With Christmas parties, Christmas Day and New Years shenanigans it’s not uncommon to put on 2 – 3 kg’s at this time.
While we don’t want to deprive ourselves of indulging over the holidays, is it possible to steer clear of an uncomfortable waistline?
British physician, science journalist, and creator of the 5:2 diet Dr. Michael Mosley says yes (!) – and gives us tips to write a different story for ourselves this Christmas:
- Time Restricted Eating. Planning out your Christmas eating around engagements to not eat any calories for at least 12 hours gives your body some down time, and unlocks repair pathways that protect against weight gain (Salk Institute California)
- 6:1 diet. If you’re on the 5:2 diet, allow yourself to relax a little (while staying conscious of what you’re eating), and consider a shift to the 6:1 diet these holidays.
- Exercise in the morning before breaking your fast
- Pile on the vegetables(!) on Christmas day, alongside a small serve of meat or nut roast
- Enjoy a couple of glasses of red wine
- Make an easy light meal on Christmas evening rather than reaching for leftovers, such as scrambled eggs and asparagus, or avocado on toast
- Don’t beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon! Set new goals for 2020, clean out the pantry, adopt a Meditarranean style of eating, get on the 5:2 diet and track your results with a friend.
Nurture your health while relaxing and enjoying yourself! Happy holidays from all of us at Stable!
This is our considered but light and brief introduction to the topic. For more information please check out: