The mindless eating and the seemingly endless parties during the holidays had inevitably caused a lot of people to gain weight. Fatty foods, decadent sugary desserts and alcohol have all been a part of the menu no matter where you go, and it is understandable that you indulged, of course, because the festive spirit makes you want to eat and eat – very much like the people around you. And if you happen to be one of them, reality check, it’s time to get rid of those unwanted pounds if you want to start your year right.

If you are clueless on where to begin, go back to the basics. You have been eating healthy before, now all you have to do is simply go back to what you have been doing before the holidays. Here are some very simple ways to help you get your pre-holiday weight back. The results may not be drastic – we don’t want drastic here – but stick to these and your hard work will eventually pay off.

1. Drink Lots of Water

   This may no longer come off as a surprise because you may have already read about the health benefits of water. But in order to fully convince you of the advantages of drinking water to promote weight loss, researchers from Germany have conducted a study which revealed that water actually helps speed up your metabolic rate thereby helping in burning your calories too! Seven women and seven men took part in the clinical study where researchers saw that after the subjects were made to drink seventeen (17) ounces of water, their metabolic rates increased by up to 30 percent. The increase in metabolic rate was observed to have occurred approximately ten minutes after water consumption, and lasted for 30-40 minutes more. The full findings of the study can be read on the December issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

2. Exercise

   True, you may have done a lot of walking when you were doing your Christmas shopping and you may think that you have barely missed out on exercise and therefore, you need not sweat it out anymore. Wrong. You have ingested a lot of calories during the holidays and you need to burn those. The best tandem for an effective weight loss regimen is balanced diet and exercise. One could not simply exist without the other – that is, if you want your weight loss program to really work. However, what you need to understand is that you need not pound yourself to exhaustion by staying on that treadmill machine for hours, or lifting heavy weights that are too much for you. These types of exercise can actually do you more harm than good.

   When going back to exercise, start slowly. Remember to stretch before a workout. Or if you have no time to go the gym, start brisk-walking around the park or around your village. Perhaps, it is also the right time for you to get your bike out for a couple of spins in your neighborhood. Choose to walk the five blocks to the supermarket instead of jumping in your car. Or use the stairs going to the office. These seemingly little acts all add up for you to get the exercise that you need.

3. Manage Stress

   After the holidays, work must have piled up and the office has become one of your stressors. A stressful environment sometimes causes you to reach for your comfort foods, and it also causes you to overeat. You wouldn’t want that, especially with your goal of losing your post-holiday weight. So it is important that you learn to manage your stress. Indulge in early morning meditation before leaving the house. Go find a corner where you are able to relax and then free your mind of useless clutter. Take deep, calming breaths all throughout the day. Count your way to relaxation, or you may close your office door for a few minutes each day and then meditate once more.
   
   You may also go to your local community center for yoga classes. There, you will be able to learn the proper way of doing the art of yoga. This will also enable you to meet new people who share the same interests as you – talk about hitting two birds with one stone!

4. Watch for Salt!

   Don’t get me wrong here. Salt do not contain calories, but this can cause you to retain water. Remember this: where salt goes, water follows. Water retention can make you feel bloated and can make you gain some more weight. Plus, salt is an appetite stimulant, so the more you eat salty foods, the more it stimulates you to eat. Junk foods are laden with sodium but there are also a lot of other food products that are readily available in the supermarket that are laden with sodium! The next time you are going grocery shopping, check the label. This will help you achieve your weight-loss goal.

5. Eat your Vegetables

   Green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and lettuce contain a lot of fiber which helps in your digestive process. It also has antioxidants which protects your cells from damage caused by free radicals. Furthermore, green vegetables help boost your metabolic rate, making you burn your calories faster than when you are not eating your greens.

   Aside from the green vegetables, colored ones are also good for you. Examples include sweet potatoes, squash, yams, tomatoes and pepper.

6. Increase Intake of Protein

   Lean meats are rich sources of protein. Try to incorporate a serving of protein in each of your meal and you will tend to go for longer periods without getting hungry. The key, therefore, is to eat only when you are hungry and not every time you see delicious looking foods in front of you. Protein will also help you get your metabolism back on the right track.

7. Go back to Healthy Eating

   Just because you have lost your way once doesn’t mean you’ll stay lost forever. Forgive yourself for overeating during the holiday season and start making changes now as part of your New Year’s resolution. Go back to healthy eating. You have done it before and you can do it again. All it takes is a proper mind-set.

Sources
nichetopics.info
howtodothings.com
bestwaytoloseweightfast.org
webmd.com
naturalhealthontheweb.com