Best Weight Loss Tips Ahead Of Christmas

© Pixabay Many people are anticipating Christmas because of parties with family and friends and the time away from their work. People prepare for the holidays by shopping for food and gifts and decorating their places, but others focus on their diets. 

We are now less than a month before Christmas. However, some people who have been trying to shed pounds for the festive season still are not finding results despite weeks of effort. 

Leading dietitian Susie Burrell said there are ways to lose weight faster. She said people would see quick results by following a strict period of healthy eating for a short amount of time, The Sun reported.

Burrell noted extreme diets that encourage fasting or avoiding certain foods for a long period of time have been linked to a number of issues. People may experience reduced metabolic rate, which may negatively affect the body, especially of active and busy people. 

She suggested eating only fresh fruits and vegetables for only three to five days. After the short restricted eating plan, people should then add foods that contain protein, iron, zinc, calcium and other nutrients the body needs to function properly. 

"For this reason, committing to a diet detox for a week or less, a time in which you have no social engagements and can keep 100 percent focused on your nutrition is the key to success." Burrell said. 

Weight Loss Before Christmas

Focus On Fresh, Natural Foods

Burrell said eating only fresh unprocessed foods for a week before Christmas could help in detox. She recommended eating only fruits and vegetables to reduce excess fluid and cut weight without avoiding meals during the day. 

"The simple goal of basing all of your meals for this time around fresh fruit and vegetables – soups, salads, stir fries, smoothies and juices will seriously load your body full of vitamins, minerals and fibre, help to eliminate the body of excess fluid and help you drop a kilo or two without skipping meals or drinking only juice," she said. 

Manage Eating Hours

During Christmas, people eat more than what they should. Burrell said a week or two before the celebration, people should manage their meal hours to keep or reduce their weight. 

"Ideally we need at least 10-12 hours overnight without food, yet some of us have as little as 6-8 each day," she noted. "The result is that we tend to store more fat than we should be and rarely feel particularly hungry, rather eating when others are eating, or when we can."

Having a longer gap between each meal may help trigger hormones that control fat metabolism, control calorie intake and support weight loss. Burrell said the best time to eat the final meal is by 6 or 7pm each night, followed by breakfast on or past 8 or 9am to promote "overnight fasting effect in the body."

Avoid Snacks

One of the reasons people struggle to lose weight is frequent snacking. Burrell said to lose some fats before the holidays, people should try to leave four to five hours in between meals to kick-start metabolism.

Daily diets should also include only balanced meals. Avoid eating processed, high carb foods between meals, such as crackers, muffins, milk coffees, biscuits and snack bars.

Drink Only Water

Drinking good amount of water each day could help reduce consumption of caffeine-rich or high sugar drinks. Regular water intake may also help cut daily calorie intake.

Burrell said drinking herbal teas may also add more health benefits. 

Gallery: 15 healthy eating tips for the holidays, according to nutritionists (Eat This, Not That!)

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