We are only days away from singing ‘Tis the season to be jolly’ with our fat belly. With Christmas party celebrations doing the rounds along with 2017’s resolutions, here are some tricks to welcome Santa without you having his paunch:
Meal plans
First things first. Plan your meal. Which plan will you stick to. There are a host of schedules to get you started with your paunch-less journey. The plan varies from 4-6 meals per day. This not only helps you to keep your weight in check but also helps you not to binge on unwanted foods all the time. This arrangement of meals should ideally start from 6 am and should go on till 8 pm.
Let staples like rice and roti remain in your lunch, and stick to soups and salads during dinner. Do not forget to have enough quantity of foods, the last thing we want is being constipated because of improper calorie intake.
What foods should your meal plans include?
Fiber
To get your tummy tucked in time for Christmas, have foods that are fiber-rich. These can include oats, bran, fruits like apples and pears in your breakfast to kick-start your day. This should be followed up with Rotis like Kuttu Roti or Singhada Roti along with lentils during lunch. In between snacks can include a handful of peanuts, nuts or a salad that includs both along with lettuce. Finish your dinner with veggies like spinach and broccoli.
Foods loaded with fiber are necessary as it will help build up bulk that will get out of the body. So the feeling of being stuffed and light at the same time remains.
Potassium-rich foods
Bananas, beetroots and soybeans are the best form of potassium –rich foods. This is important to limit water retention in the body. Including beetroot and soybean in your salad will make it colorful, which will also give a combination of fiber and potassium leaving you feeling satisfied and not longing for unwanted food.
Include curds like pro-biotics to keep your gut clean.
Fluids
Water, water and water. Nothing like god’s own creation. According to scientists, on every 2 kgs of weight you need to have 1 litre of water. So for example, you are 60 kgs, you should be consuming 3 litres of water every day.
If you get bored of water, have coconut water, lemon water or vegetable juices that include carrots , celery and beetroot. Stick to green teas to stay awake during work and ditch tea or coffee for the next few months.
Which foods to subtract?
Sodium-rich
As Indians, we have the tendency to eat dinner after 8 pm. Research shows that salt intake after sunset leads to water retention in the body making us feel bloated. Once you begin your 4 or 5 meal plan, conclude your day by 8 pm to avoid this.
Sugar
Sugar, for obvious reasons needs to be off the list if you are looking to achieve your goal faster. Stay away from fuzzy drinks, chewing gums, candies, canned juices and avoid that extra spoon of sugar in your coffee. It’ll be worth it on the eve of your Xmas party when you’ll be sipping down hot-chocolate
