6 Expert-Approved Tips to Avoid Bingeing this Festive Season

This year you may not be stepping out or ringing in festivities with a lot of people around. But festivities here mostly centre around food, so let’s accept that it’s easy to fall off the wagon now. This is a time when we tend to relax and dig into high calorie food.The general feel good factor tips the scale towards bingeing to your heart’s content. And that may seem all right but if you've been working hard for the rest of the year to lose weight, tone up or to get fitter, you wouldn’t want to ruin all your progress in this season. So how do to strike a healthy balance? Here are some expert-approved effective tips that will help you sail through the season without an expanding waistline.

1. Drink plenty of water

Sounds simple but this really works. “Water creates a feeling of satiety that prevents you from bingeing,” says Garima Goyal, a dietitian. Keep a bottle of water close by, add slices of lemon or cucumber to it and keep sipping on to it in-between meals.

2. Time your meals

It’s essential to plan your day’s meals. Garima suggests, you eat breakfast within an hour or two after waking up. Lunch should be eaten between noon to 2pm and supper before two hours of going to bed. “This will help you to not over eat. Longer gaps between meals lead to bingeing. Avoid late night snacking as your metabolism is sluggish at night and the food that you is most likely to be stored as fat,” she explains.

3. Practise portion control

If you get the urge to let go and enjoy the treats then do so but eat tiny portions. This way, you get to taste the food and stave off guilt. Fill up your plate with healthy options on the table and a tiny serving of the high-calorie food. 

4. Plan in advance

It’s easy to give in to cravings and indulge in the glass of wine, a slice of pastry or some exotic dish cooked by your mom. So it’s essential you plan your day well. If it’s dinner that your family is planning then eat a frugal breakfast and lunch. Skip the calories there and indulge your tastebuds at dinner.

5. Eat from smaller plates

Yes, it helps. A plate full of food tricks your brain into believing you have over eaten and a small plate = smaller portions.

6. Don’t stock up on tempting food for too long

If a get together is planned for a certain day, get the food like cakes, muffins, cheese crackers, etc., a day before. When you have unhealthy food lying around it’s difficult to fight temptation, you may end up eating it all by yourself. Don’t fall into the trap!