Stay toned this holiday season!

During the holidays, the first thing to be let off the hook is our control over health concerns. All the care that we take while eating and all the exercising that we do, takes a back seat during the holidays. Holidays are lazy days with rich food and little or no exercise. No wonder we end up gaining a lot of weight at the end of the holiday season!

Holidays are meant to be enjoyed. Enjoy them responsibly, as you alone will be responsible for your condition when the holidays end.

Here are a few things that you should keep in mind if you wish the holidays to end on a guilt-free note-

1. Exercise self-control and restraint. Holidays mean entering the carefree mood where after we do not pay much attention to what we eat, and end up eating junk most of the time; but that is what we need to be careful about. No matter how hard it is to resist, do not give in to temptation.
2. Be strict with yourself. It’s the holidays and who wants to get up and go to the gym instead of sleeping an extra hour!! More Free time? We spend in front of the TV munching on a bag of chips! Now, all these seemingly innocent excuses to stray away from your daily exercise schedule are the reasons why you find yourself fatter when the holidays end. Do not be lazy. Follow your regular exercise schedules even during the holidays.
3. Watch your weight regularly. Keep a check on your weight even during the holidays. Do it at the beginning of every week so that you get a fair idea of how the following week should be.
4. Watch what you eat. Being with friends and cousins means eating a lot of stuff that we would have normally avoided. Such food occasionally is acceptable. Do not overdo it. Stick more to healthier options.
5. Watch how much you eat. Do not overeat. Eat till you are satisfied, not satiated. You don’t have to finish off all the food just because it is there!
6. Keep your body well hydrated. All the salty junk foods that you eat will surely make you dehydrated. Add to it all the sodas and fizzy drinks and you will end up seriously dehydrated. Cut the junk and sodas and drink lots of water instead.
7. Party smartly. When you go for a party dinner, eat a small amount of protein rich food before you leave. Yoghurt, chicken and fish are best suited. This will satiate your hunger and you won’t find yourself gorging on the party feast.
8. Do not restrict yourself too much, especially with sweets. Go ahead and have it but make sure you keep it small, do not gorge. Too much of restriction will only have an adverse effect.
9. Avoid late night snacking & do not compromise on sleep. Holidays mean staying up late into the night chatting, laughing and generally making merry with cousins and family. In doing so you may end up gorging on late night snacks, mostly junk! Avoid this at all cost. Sleep deprivation is also one of the causes for weight gain.
10. Do not eat in front of the TV. Eating mindlessly causes you to eat more and you end up putting on weight. Concentrate on your food, know what you are eating, chew well and savor your food.

The secret to not putting on weight lies in small things.