For most people, the holiday season comes with delicious food and weight gain. We all know how hard it is to say no to the chapati, nyama choma (roasted meat) and chips +++
Many adults feel uncomfortable with the extra kilos, so here’s what to do to maintain what you have already.
- Maintain your routine of having three meals a day. Remember, it would be best if you had a heavy breakfast and a light dinner.
- Listen to what your body tells you. That is, stop eating when your tummy feels full. Most festive foods have more carbs than proteins; hence choose to respect your body and not your appetite.
- Keep drinking a lot of water even over the festive season. If you must have some alcohol, take plenty of water before, during, and after the drinking.
- Sometimes the holidays present an opportunity to take lots of tea, coffee, and fruit juices. If you indulge in all the above, reduce your sugar intake or do without it at all.
- Make sure you consume enough fiber. Hence, invest in plenty of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains.
- Serve yourself in small plates, bowls, and glasses to keep control of your portions. Divide the plate into four; one part for proteins, another for starch, and the other two for vegetables. Brown bread and chapatis are also part of starch.
- Since you are on holiday, you have a chance to eat slowly. Therefore, take time to chew your food, and in between bites. You might get distracted when you have family and friends around so you have to be mindful of how you eat deliberately.
- Choose fruits for dessert in place of cake and ice-cream.
- If you are traveling, opt to pack healthy snacks instead of junk. You will be tempted to stop for roast meat and other treats. In such cases, remember your goal to maintain weight and eat with moderation.
- Exercise. You can go for hikes and swimming with friends and family. Lately, Kenyans have taken to riding bicycles, which is fun and great exercise. Also, being outdoors is better than having a sedentary life in the house.
- Get enough sleep. How much you sleep directly affects your weight because you will feel the urge to eat if you are awake. Lack of enough sleep also increases stress, which might make you eat more than necessary.
- Recreate your recipes to pave the way for healthy ingredients and cooking methods. For instance, you can bake potatoes instead of deep-frying them. You could replace biscuits with nutritious yams, sweet potatoes or even arrow roots. You can choose to have seasonal fruits instead of fried snacks or season your food with natural herbs like rosemary and dania (Cilantro) instead of the commercial products
- Keep track of your weight.
Read here about common Kenyan foods that can increase weight when breastfeeding.
Final thoughts
Only you can draw boundaries for what to eat and what to leave. It’s hard to resist the many temptations offered to you during the holidays so you must be disciplined all through. Remember, it’s easier to gain extra kilos than to lose them.
