Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 1: Fuel Up on the Right Breakfast
The last thing you may want to do after a food binge is eat more the next morning, but having a morning meal is essential to getting your diet back on track. Choose a breakfast that includes a balance of lean protein and fiber. Having foods high in insoluble fiber like whole grains can help move things along in your body and eliminate bloat.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 2: Eat Some Melon
Watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are high-liquid fruits, which can help flush out toxins and relieve water retention and bloat. Smart! Have a cup of chopped fruit in the morning, or make a quick smoothie with vanilla yogurt and lime juice.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 3: Reset Your Idea of Portions
If your portion sizes ballooned during the holidays like floats in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, use portion-control tricks to get back on track. Remember, the goal is to feel comfortably full—not overstuffed. Using a salad plate, which is usually eight or nine inches in diameter, can help someone visualize what a reasonable-size plate should look like. These tips will also help you figure out how much to eat and how to stick to it.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 4: Make Simple Food Swaps
Using spices in place of fat in many dishes can boost flavor and combat that inflated-waistline feeling. Cinnamon and ginger are digestive aids and commonly used in home remedies to help with gassiness and bloating.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 5: Go Bananas for Potassium
You know you have to cut back on salt to de-bloat, but did you also know you should stock up on foods that are high in potassium? It can help your flatten your stomach by flushing out excess sodium in your system. Try potassium-rich bananas, raisins, milk, and yogurt.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 6: Restart Your Diet With Plant-Based Protein
To reboot your healthy-eating habits, step away from the white rice and cook lean protein, which can stave off hunger longer than simple carbohydrates. Grilled chicken breast isn’t your only option; there are plant-based sources like beans and lentils. When you eat them, you’re getting lean protein and fiber, which is so important for feeling better and restarting a healthy diet.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 7: Chew on Fennel Seeds
Many types of gum, even the sugar-free kinds, are made with sugar alcohols like mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol, which can make your distended feeling even worse. For fresh breath plus a de-bloating benefit, nosh on fennel seeds instead.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 8: Know Which Carbs to Avoid
Carbs are not intrinsically bad. If you’re trying to give your metabolism a clean slate, carbohydrates can even help you slim down by giving you an energy boost. The problematic carbs are processed ones like white flour, refined grains, and added sugars.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 9: Eat Your (Leafy) Greens
Low in calories and packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, greens are essential to jump-starting any new eating plan. Dark, leafy greens are hands down some of the best things you can eat. The nutritionist’s pick: kale, because of its versatility. You can stir-fry it, blend it in a smoothie, or make chips out of the leaves.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 10: Add Artichokes to Your Plate
Artichokes are a great fat-busting food. Low in carbs and high in fiber, these spiky globes also take a long time to eat, allowing your body to register when you’ve had enough. Try sprinkling lemon juice and olive oil over steamed artichokes for a simple and sophisticated side or appetizer.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 11: Be Extra Mindful of Alcohol Choices
Celebrations and family get-togethers provide plenty of opportunities to imbibe, but choosing the right drink can help relieve your post-holiday ick feeling. Limit yourself to one or two drinks in a sitting, and opt for wine, vodka with a low-sugar mixer, or a dry cider. Things to skip: margaritas, the punch bowl, and beer.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 12: Stop Adding Sweeteners
One of the core principles for detoxing is banishing the sweet stuff. He advises against artificial sweeteners and suggests green stevia powder if you must sweeten your morning coffee or tea. If you need a sweet kick while snacking, Schmidt recommends naturally sweet fruits like dates, figs, and berries.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 13: Avoid Carbonation
If you’re trying to get back to your healthy habits, you’re obviously not reaching for sugary sodas, right? Right. And although bubbly drinks like seltzer or diet soda contain no calories, they still have air, which can get trapped in your body and leave you feeling like a balloon. Now’s the best time to return to good old water; try dropping in ginger root slices for flavor and to help with digestion.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 14: Just Keep Drinking Water!
And speaking of water, excuse our broken record-ness, but make sure you’re drinking lots of it. Yes, we’ve said that one or two (million) times before, but you need to do it to keep your body running properly and flushing out lingering toxins. Increasing your water intake will help your kidneys excrete the excess salt and water from your body quickly and decrease the bloat. Counterintuitive? Perhaps. Effective? You better believe it.
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tip 15: Top Off Your Slim-Down Diet With Exercise
Although exercise won’t necessarily make you lose weight right away, some of the benefits include cardiovascular strength, healthy bones, and better sleep and stress levels—the perfect antidote to holiday madness. Do something you enjoy and exercise to an extent that won’t make you stressed out. Your body, mind, and waistline will thank you.
Source: glamour.com
