We are soon approaching Christmas! It’s my favorite time of the year. We share quality time with our loved ones and take the opportunity to be thankful for all the good things we have been given this year.
Oh, and is your house filled with delicious, filling comfort foods like mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole and deviled eggs? Before we have even begun, you’re already thinking how many pounds you’ll pack on and how long it will take to you get it off before you must do it all over again next month! Don’t fret. You can still put yourself in position for minimal Christmas weight gain, or even weight loss on Christmas.
Here’s the game plan and how you can boost your metabolism for weight loss with these simple tricks—right on the day of Christmas.
1.Drink at least 8oz of water just before starting and in between bites.
Water has been shown to help suppress your appetite, especially if you drink a glass before you even begin your Christmas meal. Also, because of the increased salt intake and potential alcohol consumption, water will help flush the salt and toxins out and minimize any damage from the major water weight and bloating that we all have.
2. Drink Green Tea
Instead of drinking coffee, try drinking green tea instead. In addition to caffeine, green tea has fat burning properties and has been shown to increase your metabolism. It is rich in polyphenols that work to reduce inflammation and help to fight cancer. Green tea, about 30 percent polyphenols by weight, includes large amounts of a catechin called EGCG. These natural antioxidants may help prevent cell damage. Green tea has also been found to improve your mood and enhance your brain function, so drink up! 
3. Add Cinnamon
Cinnamon naturally regulates your blood sugar and is very helpful, especially on a day where we put ourselves into a carb coma. Put it in your tea or mix it into your foods and keep your blood sugars from spiking too high.
4. Eat a Healthy Fat Snack
Controlling your hunger is going to be one of the mainstay strategies in preventing unbridled Christmas weight gain. You must learn how to control the portions of all your favorite foods. Don’t let your hunger meter approach the “hangry” level and cause you to eat more than you can handle.
The best type of snack to eat about 1 hour prior to your meal is a healthy fat snack. Fat is your natural appetite suppressant and will help keep your hunger at a reasonable level. Examples would include a handful of almonds, slices of avocado, and shrimp and salmon which are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
5. Add Sparkling Water to your Wine
Alcohol is considered empty calories – calories without nutrition. Even worse, it slows down your metabolism because your body is too busy clearing out the alcohol instead of burning calories, and it leads to increasing your appetite. Talk about a Thanksgiving weight gain villain!
Pour 3 oz. of wine and 3 oz. of sparkling water such as LaCroix or San Pellegrino and enjoy your wine with just half the calories. The bubbles will fill you up faster, too. Don’t forget to hydrate with water.
One final thought… Gratitude Helps with Weight Loss!
“Be Thankful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. ”
– Oprah Winfrey
Christmas shouldn’t be the only time of the year where we are thankful.
Weight loss can be stressful on the holidays as it is. If you use gratitude and treat yourself kindly, you’ll set yourself up for weight loss success. Click the link here if you need amore help with weight management.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas season.
Dr. Angela Tran D.O.
