Many are afraid of the holiday season as they feel they will put on weight. All their weight control efforts may be waisted as it would be too difficult to resist all the good foods and drinks that come with Christmas. The holiday season is a dilemma for many. On one hand, people want to enjoy to the fullest, eat to their hearts’ content and on the other, they are worried about the pounds they will put on, which means double the hard work once holiday season ends.

An American study revealed that weight gain peaks in winter due to lower physical activity and poor weather. However, the human body has an amazing power to maintain stable weight in the long run with an average fluctuation of only 0.5 kilos throughout the year. Another study of 120,000 Americans revealed an average weight gain of 1.52 kilos over a period of four years, reports The Conversation.

According to Huffington Post, it’s not the holiday season that is bad but the nutrition habits that one builds on a daily basis. The focus should be more on maintaining one’s weight. But how does one do that?

Fitness coach Melissa Edmonds suggests one should practice moderation, have a bit of everything year round and that would help one stay away from binging on the high calories. She also points out to the fact that it is not really possible to make up for the calories one binges on during holiday season. No one can out-exercise a bad diet. Thus, instead of spending hours on treadmill after holiday season is over, a better alternative is to focus on today and move on.

She also added that the strategy of saving calories for a big meal almost always backfires. Hence, it is better to have regular meals throughout the day so that it is easier to control over-eating when surrounded by mouth-watering guilty pleasures.

Experts also suggest having lots of proteins together with fibrous vegetables. This helps in consuming fewer calories. Another incredible tip is to bring a deliciously healthy preparation to the party.

One should not give up on physical activities during the holiday season and eat intuitively. Experts suggest that we should choose turkey breasts over salami, have plenty of salads, oat slices, shrimps and roasted nuts. Even choosing smaller plates help.

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