Need to know how to avoid festive food overload and weight gain when you have Type 2 Diabetes? It’s true that food is in abundance during the festive period. But there is a way to get to 2020 without the guilt and added worry of skyrocketing blood sugars and waistline creep. Here we cover why this is so important and the 7 strategies to help.
Avoid Type 2 Diabetes festive waistline creep
Most people gain the highest percentage of their annual weight gain at this time of the year and it is an average of 5 kilos per person. Five years of that equals 25 kilos! With that additional weight comes health risks that don’t align with your new year health goals and put your long term health in danger. So how can you watch your weight whilst still enjoying the festivities?
Our 7 tips to avoid festive overload with Type 2 Diabetes
Set a plan to be the same weight by the end of the festive season in late January. This creates accountability and will help you to get back on track quickly, rather than losing a month before realising what has happened.
Balance Finding a balance is helpful for enjoying the festivities rather than worrying how you’ll manage. Be conscious of your choices and if there is indulgence, rebalance with an extra healthy choice! You have approximately 24 hours to ‘use up’ any excess energy before it needs to find a place to be stored (and is locked up) within the body.
Mindset Your mindset impacts your choices and decisions, however your body doesn’t care about the festive season at all! It is happiest with the consistency and healthy habits of the LCHF eating plan we provide through the programme. Try matching your mindset to your body’s needs for festive eating, by maintaining your ‘normal’ healthy diabetes eating plan as much as possible in between the festivities.
Shift your mindset from thinking you HAVE to indulge. Let family know of your plans so that they can support your healthy choices.
Skip the worst culprits Decide ahead of your meals and events what is off the list and what you would perhaps like to enjoy in a small portion. By establishing some rules and making some deals with yourself, you’re in charge to avoid the internal battle that comes from making last minute decisions. Whether it’s the pudding, fried potatoes, alcohol, or second helping of crackling, what will be manageable whilst still enjoying the festivities?
Substitutes Yes, Christmas is traditionally very festive with a day of eating and treating and yes, rules are meant to be broken! Try experimenting with the traditional by giving the Christmas meal a healthy twist. Why not add some insulin friendly foods to the table as well, to help you stay focused.
Support You won’t be the only one skipping the first or second serve of pudding! Turn to the community on our Facebook page and members group to inspire, support and praise each of us doing our best through the festive season, keeping our focus on long term health. A treat really isn’t a treat for your body if you then need to work harder to achieve your goals!
Reset Your body can recover quickly from the festive period by returning to your eating plan. You may need to reset your body through the Rebalance and Repair Phase of The Diabetes Clinic Online programmes, to gently return to your health and goals.
Not a member? There’s no better time to join and ensure your new year is the best one for you, with your type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes reversed, naturally. >> Join us – here.
The Diabetes Clinic Online specialise in correct weight loss as part of a solution to reversing diabetes, along with our doctor-led strategies that provide the full support for expert and specialised solutions – immediately and long term success.
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