Tips To Avoid Weight Gain During Feasts

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Feasts are perfect opportunities for family and friends to gather, share joyful times, and exchange blessings. People also share tempting foods and sweets, which worries many about weight gain. Paying attention to the dangers of consuming foods rich in calories is a must. Most people gain an average of 0.5 kg in the festive season that they cannot lose easily. We can say that feasts are one of the key factors influencing weight gain; yet, this is not inevitable and can certainly be avoided through some basic principles.

Stick to a Healthy Diet

There are lots of delicious dish temptations during feasts; to maintain weight, attention must be directed to portion sizes and the calories you eat, especially sweets. Keeping sweets out of sight as much as possible can be a solution. It is also advised to use small plates to reduce serving sizes, and disengage from other habits such as watching TV or talking with friends while eating, which could lead to overeating.

Basic meals must include useful nutrients, the most important of which is protein because it promotes satiety, improves metabolism, and controls hunger tremendously; it is a great tool to maintain weight. The preferred portion of protein in each meal is 25–30 grams. Fruits, vegetables, and nuts are great additions to meals as well. They are effective at increasing satiety without any added sugars or unhealthy fats. Chewing food slowly also enhances the feeling of fullness, thus reducing consumed calories.

Freepik.com

Manage Anxiety and Stress

Many do not know that exhaustion and stress can tremendously lead to weight gain. In people who suffer fatigue and exhaustion, the level of cortisol—a hormone that is released in the body in response to stress—increases. High cortisol levels have been associated with overeating and weight gain.

Feast days can be more exhausting than others, so you need to control this issue. Instead, make this an opportunity to relax and reduce stress, especially when you are surrounded by unhealthy foods. Some options may include practicing light exercises, yoga, meditation, and deep breathing. Also, get good-quality sleep, as sleep deprivation can cause weight gain. Sleep-deprived people experience high levels of hunger hormone and metabolic disorders due to circadian variations, all leading to the consumption of more calories and losing control of weight.

Watch tips to avoid weight gain during Eid

Maintain Physical Activity, Move, and Exercise

It is advised to perform physical activities and move continuously; no matter what is eaten during the feast. Overweight is certainly caused by inactivity, especially when eating high-calorie foods. Lazy routines, such as sitting on a couch and watching TV, are common features of holidays that are certainly a danger of rapid overweight. This is why maintaining regular physical activity, such as walking, cycling, swimming, and others, is recommended. Sports also help you manage stress, especially if practiced with family and friends; they boost mood and energy on feasts.

Islamic greeting photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com

Though feasts are one of the key factors influencing weight gain, we can still get past this with some simple practices and maintain our weight.

References
healthline.com
healthshots.com
webmd.com


Top image: Ramadan food photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com

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