We all love the big bearded man that comes down our chimney during that very long sleep between Christmas Eve and Christmas day – but that doesn’t mean we want to take steps to emulate him.
Cyclists have many different reasons for getting out on the bike – some pedal for health, others for competition, whilst many just love it or use two wheels to get around. If you’re trying to lose weight and improve your health or cycling for competition then weight gain is probably not on your Santa list.
The festive period is always awash with parties, big Sunday lunch style meals and ‘ohh, go on, it’s Christmas!’ boxes of office chocolates floating around. It can be hard to stay on the straight and narrow. However, there is no actual physiological reason you have to gain weight in December, you can indeed have just as much fun and keep up with your normal focus on a healthy diet.
Here are our tips for arriving in January just as trim as you are now (and enjoying a few trimmings along the way!)…
Load your plate at Christmas party buffets
Wait, are you reading the right guide? Yes!
Buffets can be deceiving. Those trying to watch their weight can often be tempted to take a mini plate, fill it with carrot sticks, a little dip, a couple of chicken wings, before sauntering away feeling very disciplined. Five minutes later they’re watching everyone else still enjoying their food, so they return for another little plate, perhaps another…
Eating like this basically results in never feeling satisfied, and generally consuming more calories than if you’d just loaded one plate with something as close to a normal, balanced meal, as possible.
So, load up one plate, and enjoy it. Try to include plenty of veg, ideally as unbattered, unbuttered and unfried as possible, and go for leaner meat cuts such as turkey instead of party chicken wings.