How to save a figure during the New Year holidays
The New Year is approaching, and with it the extra pounds, which are not so easy to cope with. Festive feasts are real tests for those who follow their figure. On New Year's holidays, it's hard to give up delicious dishes, you want to try them all.
It would seem that nothing will happen from one meal, you don't have to worry that extra pounds will appear. Not so simple. After all, it is almost impossible to tear yourself away from the feast: December 31 is replaced by January 1, then Christmas and so on. When it's time to go to work, it turns out that everyday things ugly fit our figure or don't fit at all.
Such unpleasant moments can be avoided. To do this, you must adhere to some rules, which are described below.
1. Make a few small changes to the menu
Let your holiday table have a minimum of dishes that contain too many calories. Discard mayonnaise in salads, use sour cream, vegetable oil, lemon juice, low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt, kefir, etc. instead. For example, Olivier salad was previously prepared without mayonnaise. You can season it with low-fat sour cream or low-fat yogurt, and to make them taste like mayonnaise - salt, add pepper, mustard and dark Indian salt on the tip of a knife. Instead of sausage, you can use smoked turkey or chicken breast, boiled beef, boiled pork, lean fish. Add fewer potatoes to the salad. This is far from the main ingredient. Potatoes allow you to "imperceptibly" increase the volume of the salad, but if you follow the figure, then you don't need extra calories.
What other options are there for useful substitutions on the holiday table?
- Hard cheese 45% (363 kcal / 100 g) can be replaced with dietary hard cheese 20% fat (209 kcal / 100 g).
- Whipped cream - riccotta cheese.
- White bread - by slicing bran or whole grain bread.
- Instead of semi-finished products and sausages, include baked, smoked or jerky meat with spices in the New Year's menu.
- If you are roasting chicken or turkey, then do it on a rice pad - it will absorb some of the fat from the meat. The rice can then be thrown away without affecting the taste of the meat.
- Do not fry, but bake, simmer, grill, slow cooker or steam.
- Instead of high-calorie snacks, prepare light canapes, and put salads like crab or Olivier not in salad bowls, but in waffle tartlets. We always put on salads with a spoon, do not guess with portions and overeat. You won't put ten tartlets on one plate, but you can taste all the dishes and catch the onset of satiety, and guests and family will appreciate your creativity.
- Alcohol affects the body extremely adversely. Under its influence, control over the amount of food consumed is lost. In addition, alcohol itself is high in calories. In 100 g of vodka there are 235 calories, in 100 g of brandy - 225 calories, the calorie content of liqueur can reach 330 calories. But who on New Year's Eve is limited to only 100 g of alcohol? If alcohol is an integral part of the holiday, then choose less high-calorie options - wine and champagne, in 100 g of which there are about 80 kcal.
- Consume non-carbonated mineral water during meals, it helps to reduce the amount of food eaten. And if your family has a tradition of drinking Coca-Cola for the new year, then buy a sugar-free light cola. In 100 g of regular cola there are 42 calories and 10 g of sugar, when in "light" cola there are 0 calories.
- Replace ready-made sauces with homemade sauces based on natural yogurt, low-fat sour cream, tomato paste.
2. Eat slowly, enjoy the holiday
Fast food intake makes it difficult to digest, so communication at the table promotes slower absorption of food. Plan your holiday program in advance. If you have children, be sure to include games and contests for them, because they were so waiting for the New Year's fairy tale.
Arrange a holiday for yourself! You will always have time to sit at the table. Solemnly sum up the year. To do this, you will have to draw up questionnaires in advance, where you can include both serious questions in the spirit of "What has this year taught me?", And funny "This year's song" or "Adventure of the year."
Be mobile - add singing and dancing to the holiday program, arrange a home photo session. Plan some games that will interest your family and guests. In a large company you can play crocodile or arrange a competition. You can also play exciting board games.
The richer the program of your holiday, the less thoughts you will have about food. And if you make a New Year's feast in the form of a buffet - you set the table beautifully, put a variety of snacks, tartlets with salads, canapes, then the food will certainly not be an annoying factor. Everyone can take as much as they want, and you have enough space for entertainment.
3. Don't lose self-control
Some of the food eaten during the holidays can be supplemented with fruits and vegetables. Vegetables and fruits do not contain fat, the only exception is avocados and olives.
Note that pickles and marinades do not belong to this, because salt retains fluid in the body, contributing to an increase in volume. Therefore, on New Year's Eve, it is better not to abuse salted fish, homemade pickles and other preparations.
If there is a lot of food in the house on New Year's holidays, which contains a considerable amount of calories, it is not easy to resist the temptation. Therefore, subject to any restrictions, solidarity and support of relatives and friends is so important.
It is not advisable to visit on an empty stomach; it is better to have a little refreshment before going out. Protein and vegetables are the best choices. For example, chicken, lean meats, eggs or cottage cheese, and a small serving of vegetable salad. Moderate-fat animal protein and fiber from vegetables can help keep you feeling full.
If you are not confident in yourself and are afraid to break loose, then set a limit for yourself in advance of the food that you are going to eat. Of course, you don't need to count grams, but you can promise yourself that you won't be adding salads or high-calorie snacks.
4. Stay active during the holiday break
It's no secret that activity has a positive effect on burning excess fat and carbohydrates. That is why after eating, especially on New Year's days, it is not recommended to rest - dance, play outdoor games such as a stream, play snowballs with the kids, make a real Snowman, with a carrot nose and a bucket on his head. Gather a company on a skating rink or in the forest, walk more often.
You can go skiing or sledding, whichever you prefer. You will get a lot of impressions, and your body will thank you for being active. Of course, you should not immediately go in for sports on January 1 and 2, but you do not need to delay either. Starting from January 3, you can resume morning exercises and sports activities.
These are the main secrets of moderate nutrition and maintaining a slim figure during the New Year holidays, from which you will have only happy memories!
Author: Zhanna Sh. (Specially for Calorizator.ru)
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