If you’re looking for holiday weight loss tips, well, let me tell you, I’ve had to use them myself over the years.
See, as I sit here writing this post, I have a pumpkin pie in the oven and just got done baking an apple pie. (Thank you, Mrs. Smith, for your help with making those pies.)
As you rightly guessed, I’m writing this during the holiday season. I love to eat, and I think I love the holiday season about as much as Buddy, the Elf.
So, you best believe I indulge when Jack Frost is nipping at my nose and chestnuts are roasting on an open fire. And, hey, there’s nothing wrong with celebrating the holidays with some incredible food — both traditional and exotic alike.
Of course, most of us usually end up hoping that the extra 10 pounds we gained over the holidays will drop along with the beautiful ball that rings in the new year above Times Square in NYC.
Having lost 90 pounds myself (and now working very hard to keep it off), I try all sorts of things to lose weight just after I change out the 12-month calendar on my wall.
Here are 5 holiday weight loss tips I’ve tried, and they’ve been successful for me. I hope they help you, too!
#1 – Take The Stairs
When I’m not writing at home (or eating pie), I can usually be found writing marketing content on the 4th floor of an office building. And, I usually take the stairs whenever I need to get to my office – or to get back down to the 1st floor.
This goes double for the days immediately following Christmas and New Years.
Taking the stairs is a great cardiovascular exercise and can greatly aid in holiday weight loss, especially if you take the stairs several times each day. You might even choose to do what I do sometimes, and turn stair climbing into a 10-minute workout routine during lunch breaks at work.
#2 – Drink Plenty Of Water (Cheers!)
Zero calories. Ultra refreshing. Water. From flushing away toxins to replenishing your body’s fluids, drinking lots of it does more wonders for your body than can be listed here.
It’s also good for filling your tummy and helping you feel less hungry. Trust me – it really works.
Most every dietitian recommends squeezing in 8 glasses of water each day, and that’s always my goal, too. You might choose to keep track of your water intake by keeping a tally on a nutrition app. Here are 5 great food intake apps.
If you’re not the biggest fan of drinking plain water, try adding a low-cal flavor additive.
TIP: How To Get More Water Into Your Daily Intake
#3 – Park Farther From The Door
While I let the SUV and the pickup truck duke it out (literally) in the parking lot for the closest spot to the front door during the holidays, I choose to park my car in the boonies (as I’d be perfectly content waiting for a closer spot) and hiking across the asphalt to get to the store.
Why? Because this is a great way to rack up some incidental exercise while doing everything else I’ve got to do to make the season a little brighter.
Of course, parking farther from the front door of a store is a great tip for losing weight throughout the year. The only time I might park as close as possible to the front door of the store I’m shopping in? When buying ice cream from the grocery store during the summer!
TIP: Get a pedometer to track how much you’re walking.
#4 – Cut Out The Empty Calories
For every piece of turkey or ham I eat during the holidays, I dine on pretty much equal parts cookies and pie, too. And, yes, eating that way may be good for the soul, but more than a few weeks each year of eating like that, and I may just need to eventually ask Santa for a liposuction treatment gift certificate.
Since I’m a believer in dietary moderation, I subscribe to the notion of enjoying the festive desserts of the holiday season, but then cutting back substantially on the sweets during the first part of the new year.
After my weight returns to normal, I will then resume to my usual once- or twice-weekly dessert until the holiday season jingles its bells my way again.
#5 – Exercise 30 Minutes A Day
As hard as it may sound to squeeze in 30 minutes of exercise each day, it’s actually much easier than you might think.
First, the exercise doesn’t have to occur over the course of 30 consecutive minutes. The exercises can be broken up over the course of the day.
All that matters is that your body gets 30 minutes of physical activity each day — which is especially crucial when you’re trying to eliminate the extra holiday weight.
I take walks around my office building during lunch breaks on many days. I also take the stairs (see Tip #1), walk whenever I can while doing errands (remember Tip #3?), and try to incorporate a little extra physical activity on my days off for good measure.
More Holiday Weight Loss Tips
In addition to the links I’ve included above, here are some other resources to help you with your holiday weight loss this season:
- Healthy Christmas Holiday Appetizer & Dessert Recipes
- Best Ways To Eat Healthy At The Holidays
- Cooking Light Holiday Weight Loss Challenge
- How To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain After Bariatric Surgery
- Holiday Weight Loss Support Groups
I want everyone to live their best life… for as long as possible. So I often write about the health screenings that we all should be getting — to help catch potential health issues early. (Yes, I get my screenings too.) I also share my knowledge and experience with specific health problems that I am personally familiar with.