Weight Loss: Eating high-protein meals to reduce cravings for sugar and carbs
Whether you are on a weight loss journey or considering losing weight, weight loss can be tricky. It can be especially tough to lose weight during the festive season when you are surrounded by sweets, fried foods and parties.
Considering all these unavoidable factors, it might be time for you to understand why weight management is a better approach than weight loss during the festive season. In this article, we discuss what approach you should take when managing weight in the coming months.
As Diwali is around the corner, the festive season is commencing and it will last till new year. All of these parties and celebrations might make you overeat and skip workouts. This is why your focus this year should be on weight management and not weight loss.
What is weight management?
As the name suggests, weight management means maintaining the weight you are currently. Now, a weight management routine is followed when you are at your goal weight and want to keep it that way. However, you might want to consider it this festive season even if you are not at your goal weight.
Why is weight management better than weight loss during the festive season?
Weight loss takes a strict diet, calorie counting, exercise routines, proper sleep schedules, cutting out unhealthy foods and so on. All of these things can be extremely difficult during the festive season.
If your goal is to lose weight, you might feel defeated due to excessive cheat days or cheat meals you are engaging in. Many might be able to lose weight and follow a strict diet but weight management is a temporary way to ensure you follow a healthy lifestyle without overworking yourself.
The festive season results in partaking in a lot of parties, alcohol, sweets, fried foods, etc. All of which can make it hard to lose weight. This is why for the following months you should focus on weight management.
Weight management is not as strict as a weight loss routine but still helps inculcate a healthy routine. It will help you keep your calories and workout in check and might even result in weight loss if you take the right steps.
How to manage weight?
Here are some ways in which you can ensure you don't gain weight but maintain your current weight through the festivities:
1. Eat a filling & healthy breakfast
Cravings for sugar and fried foods arise when you are stopping yourself from feeling full and satiated. If you consume a filling and healthy breakfast, you might not feel the need to consume unhealthy sugary sweets and fried foods you might get offered throughout the day.
2. Keep a calorie count
Do not obsess over your calorie intake. This can be exhausting and might make eating a tiring task. Instead, draw rough numbers of foods you might be consuming most often to keep a rough idea of how many calories you are consuming. According to your workout routine, map out the number of calories you can consume in a day and eat accordingly.
3. Eat more protein
Protein, which is made up of amino acids, helps the brain produce the hormones that reduce sugar cravings. When those hormones are working at their peak levels, we also have better thinking and can easily resist cravings.
4. Workout as regularly as possible
According to studies, those who are more active than others are more likely to keep off the weight they've lost or maintain their weight. Set a goal for yourself to work up to at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. This could be a jog, walk, cardio at the gym, and so on.
Keep these things in mind to keep weight gain at bay this festive season!
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.