Five Ways to Lose Five Pounds Before the Holidays

Five Ways to Lose Five Pounds Before the Holidays

The holiday season is coming, which means company parties, family gatherings, and nights out with friends. The occasions are a time to look your best and dress to impress. Losing weight while on a holiday can be a battle that is hard to win.

On the other hand, losing a few pounds can make you feel more confident. It also gives you room to have a couple of Christmas cookies along the way. Consider five ways to lose five pounds before the holidays.

Pack a Healthy Lunch

Ever wonder why you can’t lose the excess pounds? How often do you wind up going for fast food or making a fattening choice at the corporate cafeteria? Packing your lunch is a good way to get control over these calories. It can also help you save some money on holiday gifts.

Pack a salad, soup, or a lean sandwich on whole grain bread. This helps reduce your desire to grab burgers, fries, and other foods that can pack on the pounds. Keep a granola bar or fruit in your desk drawer to help you ward off mid-afternoon urges to visit the vending machines.

Skip Soda and Happy Hour

Many people grab a cup of soda without thinking of all the empty calories. Even diet soda is a poor choice because it has no nutritional value. Have water instead to flush out toxins and quench your thirst without adding empty calories to your diet.

Skip happy hour and invite a friend over for a couple of drinks instead. At happy hour, the free drinks flow, and it can be easy to get carried away. At home, you have more control over what you serve and how much you drink.

Reduce Portions

Counting calories is a smart and effective way to shed pounds. Cutting about 500 calories a day can help you lose about one pound in just a week. And counting your calories doesn’t necessarily mean self-deprivation. You can simply reduce the portions of your favorite foods.

Consider the rule of one. Just have one spoonful or bite of high-calorie foods. Minimizing your portions can add up to visible results after just two or three weeks.

Grab Fruit Instead of Bread

While bread tastes good, it also contains calories and carbohydrates. Think about how often you reach for bread. This includes a morning roll or bagel, dinner rolls with your meal, and sandwiches as well as cheese and crackers before bed. Swap out a piece of fruit for bread.

This could mean having an apple in the morning rather than a roll or grapes with cheese instead of crackers. The natural sugars in fruit are satisfying with fewer calories. It might even become a choice you prefer to make after the holiday season is over.

Workout More

Working out burns calories and fat. It can be a challenge to get to the gym when you are working, cleaning the house for the holidays, and shopping for gifts. Add decorating and wrapping to your day, and there is even less time to get to the gym or take a walk during the daylight. Fortunately, a treadmill at home is there whenever you are ready. Consider compact yet effective Horizon Adventure 5 Treadmill to help you shed a few pounds.