Tips to Prevent Weight Gain During the Holiday

Tips for Preventing Weight Gain During the Holidays Buket Ertaş Sefer, Dietitian and Phytotherapy Specialist at Yeditepe University Kozyatağı Hospital, states that maintaining awareness is essential for weight control during the holidays. "The flow of life is not always conducive to creating ideal conditions. What matters is establishing balance within the circumstances you face. If you can achieve this, maintaining balance throughout life becomes easier," said Dt. Buket E. Sefer. "Therefore, holidays and vacation periods spent with awareness will further increase your motivation and self-confidence, but things may not always go as you wish. The best approach is to accept this as normal and continue forward without panicking," she added.  

Dt. Buket Ertaş Sefer emphasizes that habits need to be changed to prevent weight gain during the holiday following Ramadan, and offers the following tips…

• Exercise to speed up metabolism

Noting that accelerating metabolism is one of the most important factors in weight control, Dt. Buket E. Sefer said, "If you don't have time during the day, you can wake up half an hour earlier each morning and do brisk walking or short, effective exercises. Come on, let's start the day a bit earlier and experience the happiness that comes with exercising at the beginning of the day. This way you can also maintain balance with increased energy throughout the day and a faster metabolism," she said.

• Don't skip meals

"We certainly recommend not skipping meals for blood sugar regulation and appetite control. However, a workday that starts at 8:00 a.m. should obviously not be the same as a holiday day when you wake up at 10:00 a.m.," said Dt. Sefer, explaining further: "If possible, it is necessary to completely avoid sweet sources like jam and honey during these days. A breakfast that starts with quality protein, followed by a small snack or a beloved dessert offered at social gatherings, and then dinner will help balance the day. Of course, we would prefer zero sugar consumption. But if you say you cannot control yourself on special days, it helps to reduce main course calories slightly." She continued.

• Drink one glass of water every hour

Noting that as temperatures begin to rise, water loss increases along with physical activity, Dt. Buket E. Sefer said that fluid consumption may be restricted due to stress, intensity, or perhaps being outside your comfort zone. "However, for both general health and weight control, maintaining high awareness about water consumption and drinking one glass of water every hour will help suppress snacking urges," she added.

• Limit your dessert consumption

"Think about what sweets, pastries, or special foods you crave and allow yourself to indulge in those," said Dt. Buket E. Sefer, noting that the principle of balance should be applied to dessert consumption during the holidays. "Completely restricting dessert consumption can make your return to normal eating quite dramatic. For this reason, the principle of balance should be the priority during the holidays as always. For those 1 or 2 days when you allow yourself to eat that dessert that makes you happy at lunch time, don't feel guilty. Avoid unnecessary calories for sweets even if you could do without them."

• Consume one meal of quality, lean protein daily

Pointing to the importance and necessity of getting quality protein in meals throughout the holiday, Dt. E. Sefer provided the following information: "To reduce carbohydrate intake, you can choose white meat or lean red meat with plenty of salad or vegetables for dinner. This will both contribute to your daily protein requirements and balance your calorie intake. Along with protein, make sure to include vegetables. This way you can increase both your vitamin and fiber intake."

• No need for long periods of fasting

Emphasizing that the idea of "I won't eat dinner tonight" after consuming sweets or pastries during the day is quite wrong, Dt. Buket E. Sefer said this would trigger nighttime snacking attacks. "Instead of that, don't punish yourself for what you've consumed. Try to prepare a light main meal at your next eating occasion," she said.

• Increase your probiotic and fiber intake

Noting that changes in eating patterns can lead to slower bowel movements or bloating, Dt. E. Sefer listed her suggested solutions: "Homemade yogurt, probiotic yogurt, or probiotics taken as supplements will ease your gastrointestinal system. Moreover, the more fiber you consume, the more regulated blood sugar, consistent bowel movements, and satiety you'll experience. To increase fiber, plenty of vegetables and one portion of fruit daily are essential. So here's to colorful and varied salads."

• Limit caloric beverages

Noting that acidic drinks offered during the day, fruit juices even if freshly squeezed, and fruity mineral waters can unintentionally lead to excessive calorie intake, Dt. Buket E. Sefer said, "Instead of these, plain coffee (without sugar and milk), herbal tea, plain mineral water, and consuming plenty of water will be a good control method for beverage management," she said.

• Don't follow detox diets

Yeditepe University Hospitals Dietitian and Phytotherapy Specialist Buket Ertaş Sefer drew attention to incorrect detox methods used to lose weight and compensate for what has been eaten, concluding her remarks as follows: "Your body's best detoxification method is a well-functioning liver and organs. Low-calorie diets and detox programs typically only result in water loss. The best approach after the holidays would be to take good care of your liver and, if needed, resort to foods and dietary supplements aimed at liver health."