stop holiday weight gain

5 Easy Ways to Curb Holiday Weight Gain

In Living, Style by Angela AmmanLeave a Comment

stop holiday weight gain
Holiday weight gain isn’t inevitable

Holiday parties, festive cocktails and irresistible recipes can cause your scale to creep up during December. Keep holiday weight gain from casting a shadow over the season by saving and burning calories in simple ways. All of our calorie calculations are approximations, but we know you’ll love our five easy tips to keep your weight from becoming an unreturnable holiday gift.

Say Happy Holidays to HIIT Training

If you’re already logging time at the gym, welcome HIIT into your life and chase away a little bit of holiday weight gain. HIIT (high intensity interval training) involves pushing your heart rate higher than normal for a “burst” during your workout and then taking a minute to recover before pushing higher again. Don’t let the fancy name make you nervous. Hop on an elliptical machine or a treadmill, jog or walk at an easy pace for a minute, then run for 90 seconds. Repeat until you’ve logged twenty to thirty minutes of cardio activity. To keep your energy high, stack your iPod Shuffle (Apple, $49) playlist with high tempo tunes.
Calorie burn = 170 calories in 20 minutes

Turn up the holiday tunes for living room dance parties

Instead of sampling your appetizers as you’re prepping for guests, crank up the music and dance around the living room. Christmas tunes with a twist always offer the opportunity to really appreciate the season, and Under the Influence: Holiday Edition from Straight No Chaser is no exception (Amazon, $7). The a cappella group covers Christmas classics, like White Christmas, in their signature, fun-loving style.
Calorie burn = 100 calories in 20 minutes

Burn calories while marveling at light displays

Driving around to look at holiday lights is a cozy way to spend a few calm moments with your family during the holidays, but walking to see them can help keep holiday weight gain at bay. Either drive to an area of town that decorates extravagantly for the holidays and park or keep your keys at home and wander around your own neighborhood for an evening. Remember your glovettes so you can snap photos of your favorite displays without pulling off your gloves. We love The Pom That I Want (ModCloth, $14).
Calorie Burn = 75 calories in 20 minutes

Try peppermint tea instead of high-calorie coffee blends

Turning down a decadent, frothy flavored coffee can be tough after a long day of wrapping gifts, but a lot of calories hide in those delicious drinks. Try a mug of tea instead and save yourself calories while still enjoying the flavors of the season. Teavana’s White Chocolate Peppermint Rooibos Tea blends chocolate and peppermint flavors in a calorie-free, caffeine-free treat (Teavana, $10 for 2 ounces or approximately 25 to 30 teaspoons).
Calories saved = 220 calories per 8 ounce beverage

Go strapless — with your purse, that is!

Carrying a clutch is a guaranteed way to save you calories at holiday parties. Keep it in your hand instead of slinging it over your shoulder and suddenly it’s much harder to juggle a glass of wine and an appetizer plate. Even if you manage to carry both, you’re left without a free hand to pick up the food. Of course you can sit down and have a snack, but carrying a beautiful clutch will make a fashion statement while cutting down on the mindless munching that can occur when you’re not sure what to do with your hands. We won’t tell if you gift yourself a little early this year with this to-do-for Prada Jeweled Clutch (Neiman Marcus, $2,110).
Calories saved = 180 per 3 mini quiches 

What are your best tips for avoiding holiday weight gain? 

Meet the Author | Angela Amman


Angela Amman is a short story and essay writer. Collecting her family's stories is a gift-in-progress for her daughter and son, and she blogs at Playing with Words, capturing the craziness and beauty that weave together to create something extraordinary. As the co-director of Listen To Your Mother Metro Detroit, Angela is thrilled to bring others' stories to the stage and to celebrate the magic of words, storytelling, and the courage to share that magic with an audience. When she should be sleeping, she works on her latest short story collection. Her writing has been featured on Mamalode, Peacock Journal, and Scary Mommy. Her personal essays and short stories have appeared in her collection, Nothing Goes Away, and various anthologies.

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