A complete guide to weight loss during holidays: moderate alcohol consumption, diet tracking, and consistent exercise.

**Drink alcohol in moderation**

During the festival, the wine spreads like lava.

However, don't forget that beer, wine, and spirits are all high in calories. In fact, each gram of alcohol contains seven calories, which is much higher than the four calories of carbohydrates.

In addition, alcohol can stimulate appetite.

And don't forget that once there's alcohol in your body, the liver has to spend more time processing it, so there isn't enough time to process fat.

Research from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland shows that consuming just 90 milliliters more alcohol per day can reduce the amount of fat processed by the liver by one-third.

Social occasions don't necessarily require alcohol; you can opt for sparkling water, soda water, or sparkling mineral water with ice and citrus juice instead.

Alternatively, you can switch to non-alcoholic beer or wine.

However, don't drink too much, as these drinks are mostly high in sugar.

**Science Speaks: Tracking What You Eat Can Help You Lose Weight**

During the holidays, record what you eat and the calories you consume in a food diary.

This is actually "self-monitoring".

Studies show that this practice can help with weight loss, even during the holiday season.

In one study, 38 dieters (32 women and 6 men) recorded the food and calories they consumed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's Day.

Researchers grouped dieters according to the consistency of their food and calorie intake records, and also recorded their weight loss.

The results showed that people who were most able to consistently monitor themselves lost an average of about four kilograms more than those who did not adhere to the monitoring plan.

**Keep moving**

Don't let your exercise routine come to a standstill during the holidays.

Maintaining your usual exercise routine is one of the best ways to combat holiday weight gain.

Therefore, no matter what obstacles there are, we should try our best to maintain the habit of exercising.

If you, like most people, experience a lot of stress during the holidays and need an outlet, then exercise is definitely the best option.

A way to relieve stress.

In addition, exercise can burn off the calories consumed at parties and holiday meals.

If you have plenty of time during the holidays, why not do more aerobic exercise to burn off the extra calories you've consumed?

Increase your daily aerobic exercise or try new types of exercise to find some fun.

Spend an afternoon at the ice rink or play squash.

If the weather permits, you can prepare ski equipment or rent a pair of ski boots and try cross-country skiing.

If you're not so adventurous, simply extend your usual aerobic exercise time or increase the frequency of your workouts.

Extending your workout time even slightly can result in a surprisingly large increase in calories burned.

You can also increase the frequency of your exercise: increase the number of times you exercise each week, making the time spent exercising more per week than usual, so that you can burn more calories and fat.

Increase the intensity and make more efforts.

To achieve the best fat-burning effect, the amount of exercise should increase your heart rate by 70% to 80% above your fastest heart rate (the ideal heart rate is 220 minus your age, then multiplied by 0.7 or 0.8).

Another benefit is that vigorous exercise can suppress appetite.

Don't just plop down on the sofa during the holidays this year.

Let's get some exercise!

**Seek assistance to alleviate holiday stress.**

I've always thought it's contradictory to put the word "pressure" on "holidays".

Shouldn't festivals be filled with joy and happiness?

That's right!

Even so, holidays are always accompanied by stress, and most of it is self-inflicted.

What should have been a joyful and pleasant time turned into a large-scale, chaotic operation, much like an army invasion.

The temptations and preparations that come with the holidays are often a source of stress and fatigue, which explains why people tend to gain weight during the holidays.

To avoid falling into this seasonal weight gain and stress trap, I offer some advice on how to organize your life and spend your time on things that truly matter.

Don't let the holidays bring you depression.

With proper planning, you can have a healthy and enjoyable holiday, and you might even lose a few kilograms.

● Master time and priorities.

To avoid being overwhelmed by holiday demands, you need to plan ahead.

First, decide which things and activities are most important and mark them on your calendar, while also planning some "personal" time.

The most important people during the holidays are family and friends, so first decide who is the most important (such as family, close friends, and people who come from afar), and spend more time with them.

Buying gifts and writing cards can be tiring, but it's easier to handle and more enjoyable to do if you do it in small batches.

For example, write a few cards each night, instead of writing a whole batch at once.

Buy gifts online and avoid the dreaded annual march between shopping malls, toy stores, department stores, or discount stores.

● Defend your sleep.

Stress management and overall health require sufficient sleep, so sleep should be taken very seriously.

The best way to ensure you get enough rest is to set a fixed time for bed.

Reduce or avoid caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol intake, as these can disrupt sleep patterns and make it difficult to fall asleep.

Eating too much before bed can also affect sleep.

● Set reasonable goals for the holiday.

If you want to lose weight, the holidays may not be the best time, because there are temptations everywhere during this period.

Actually, trying to lose weight during holidays is unreasonable.

A more reasonable goal is to maintain your current weight, or to gain one or two kilograms, rather than more than three kilograms.

● Don't feel guilty.

If you've made plans and efforts, but still indulged yourself, there's no need to feel guilty.

Guilt will only weaken your resolve to maintain healthy habits.

In addition, feelings of guilt can spoil the fun of holiday celebrations.

Even if things deviate from the plan, there's no need to be discouraged.

Relax and don't dwell on the minor differences in plans.

As long as you can do some healthy things next, such as exercising, eating a nutritious meal, or doing some relaxing activities.

● Maintain a cheerful mood.

Donate money to those in need, volunteer at shelters, or donate items to charities such as the Toys for Children Foundation.

Take some time each day to reflect on everything you have.

Let go of anger, pain, and blame.

View holidays like a child; this will bring more surprises and warmth to life.

Finally, view each day with reverence.

The present moment is the best gift.

●If you follow some of the suggestions above, you should no longer covet the candy or want to sneak a bite of the fig pudding mentioned in "A Christmas Carol".

**Key Highlights**

● Lose weight before the holidays so you'll be lighter when the holidays arrive. Even if you gain a little weight during the holidays, it's not a big deal.

● Use strategy when eating at holiday parties and dinners to avoid overeating.

●Eating more fiber-rich foods can help prevent overeating.

● Keep a record of what you ate during the holidays.

● Don't neglect exercise.

● Use stress-relieving techniques during the holidays.

●Remember the true meaning behind the festival.