Sticking to Your Diet to Avoid Looking Like Santa
After your body contouring procedure, you will be tempted by dozens of holiday recipes that make your taste buds beg for more. But following a healthy diet integrated with exercise programs will successfully keep your new figure intact. We do not wish to sound like a drill sergeant and restrain you from all the joys of the holidays, but the importance of a healthy lifestyle is the difference between failure and success.
What is Body Contouring?
Body contouring refers to a variety of procedures that help to slim down areas of stubborn fat and redefine the body contours. At K Plastic Surgery, we have surgical options like liposuction or tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and non-surgical alternatives like CoolSculpting.
A common purpose of body contouring is to create a smaller stomach and when you mix in processed, unhealthy and larger meals the stomach will stretch and leave fat to do damage to your body again. A similar effect can happen on other areas of the body treated with body contouring. This may be your thighs, under the chin, back, and arms.
Diet Tips for the Holidays
There are some fats that are good for our body, but it is about knowing which fats are good for the body. Stick to the good fats and avoid the bad this holiday season. You can make better choices in holiday foods at the dinner table, so start thinking of a healthy eating plan to help you celebrate your weight loss the smart way. Here are a few ideas you could follow to keep the bad foods out and the good foods in.
Eat Your Healthy Servings Before the BIG Dinner
Prepare yourself for the battle of temptation by cooking your own healthy Thanksgiving dinner and filling your stomach beforehand. This is the best control patients have over their cravings since the stomach can only allow smaller and healthier portions. Eating slowly, avoiding mindless eating and snacking, and planning meals in advance to ensure whole foods are being consumed in every meal.
Take Only a Bite, Not the Whole Slice
People associate overeating with the holiday season, but when you are on a strict diet, that can have damaging effects. The average person on Thanksgiving consumes over 3,000 calories in one meal, and many others go beyond that. As long as you curb your cravings for a small sample of holiday flavors, your diet will not suffer. After touring the dinner table, sink into the healthier options of fruit and vegetables. You should also stick to only one alcoholic drink, since alcohol contains a lot of excess calories.
Save a Plate for Later
There are hundreds of choices of baked goods, meats, and vegetables to try, but if you are already full you cannot be rude to your hosts by avoiding all the food they prepared. Be courteous and take some of the holiday meal with you, even if you know you are just going to be throwing out the bad trans fats take a plate home with you.
Bring Your Own Side Dish for Everyone and Yourself to Enjoy
We know how difficult it is to be around all the bad foods on Thanksgiving and Christmas, so do yourself and everyone a favor by bringing your own healthy dish. Plenty of fat-free and sugar-free recipes are at your fingertips. Try out your hand in making:
- Thin-sliced Herbed Pork Medallions (Substitute for ham)
- Cilantro Fish Stew (Substitute for broccoli cheese or mushroom soup)
- Tomato Couscous (Substitute for potato salad)
- Pineapple smoothies (Substitute for pumpkin cheesecake)
Holiday Fatteners to Avoid
We know you cannot say no to everything your host offers, but there are hundreds of fatty and sugary foods we need to avoid. Processed foods are the most damaging to everyone, so politely pass for whole foods. Other foods to avoid include:
- Trans and saturated fats – butter, baked goods, and full dairy
- Salty foods – chips, cornbread, and potatoes
- Sugars – pies, soda, cranberry juice
- Alcohol – beer, liquor, wine, and mixed drinks
Now that you are ready to make healthy choices on the holidays, get out there and celebrate your new wholesome body. The only way to maintain your diet is by making smarter choices. Following a holiday eating plan is the best choice you can provide yourself with. Avoid fattening foods and sugar products and enjoy your serving of healthy dishes to keep the fat away for good.
Schedule a Consultation
Whether you are hoping to slim down your body before the holidays and take off the extra holiday pounds, a body contouring procedure a K Plastic Surgery can help! Schedule your consultation today with Dr. Kayastha, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Albany, NY.