How to Control Your Diet this Chinese New Year
Updated: Feb 19, 2021
Chinese New Year is approaching really soon and everyone is excited to welcome in the new year! During this festive season, it will be filled with lots of well-wishes, red packets and not to forget... feasting of Chinese New Year goodies and delicacies. Although one or two treats will not add too many inches to your waistline, given the numerous goodies and delicacies available before your eyes and how close Christmas and New Year are, it could lead to significant weight gain. Many have the mentality of eat first, train and lose weight later but why get started in this cycle when you can manage it wisely in the first place?
In addition, a lot of these festivities goodies such as Bak Kwa, pineapple tarts, and Nian Gao are lathered with sugar, oil and are also very high in sodium. All of which could lead to unwanted fat gain and also leading to water retention and bloating which contributes to a puffier appearance ! Especially with the Covid-19 situation during this festive period, there have been certain restrictions being imposed. Some of you may be visiting less and staying at home with so many goodies within your grasp, this is a recipe for disaster and likely to result in unwanted weight gain.
However, fret not, we got you covered, it is inevitable that you may gain some weight but here are some essential tips that can help you reduce weight gain.
1. Avoid Calorie-Dense Food
Lots of traditional Chinese New Year food are packed with sugars and fats. Especially if you are moving from one house to another and eating the goodies offered in each house, you are likely to overeat so do carefully ration the amount you eat in each household. Here’s a calorie count guide of some popular Chinese New Year goodies and the amount of exercise you have to perform to expend the calories consumed.
2. Stay Active
During Chinese New Year, it is very important to still stay active and exercise as it helps us to lose weight and also improve our health in general ! Many gyms throughout Singapore may be closed during this festive period however you can still plan a workout session and do bodyweight exercises at home. Alternatively, you could go out together to a park with your family after reunion dinner for a walk. Skip activities like Mahjong as you would be seated down and not moving actively for long periods of time. Take this opportunity to move your body, play with kids and just stay active !
3. Stay Hydrated with Plain Water
Water is going to be your best friend during this festive period. Especially when a lot of the delicacies and goodies are high in sodium and oil, leaving you feeling thirsty after consuming them. This might entice you to quench your thirst by drinking soft drinks, which are high in sugar. In addition, when you’re dehydrated, your body might mistake it for hunger and enticing you to consume more food as well. Water is the ideal choice of beverage to quench your thirst as it is zero calories and helps in weight management as well ! Drinking a glass of water before every meal during this Chinese New Year will also fill your stomach and reduce the amount of food you will consume too. Lastly, it is also important to drink lots of water after a big day to flush out the wastes accumulated from feasting.
4. Snack Less by not Going Visiting on an Empty Stomach
A good way to avoid snacking is to avoid visiting on an empty stomach. This might sound contradictory as we are more likely to keep our stomachs hungry before we visit to ‘make space’ for the feasting. However, this often results in us overeating and snacking on too many goodies. Consume a healthy snack such as fruits, unsweetened popcorn or nuts before visiting. This will help fill our stomachs slightly and prevent us from overeating and snacking during visits.
5. Watch your Portions
During this festive period, it is inevitable that you will be consuming some high calorie Chinese New Year goodies such as pineapple tart, Bak Kwa and cookies. So instead of inflicting an agonizing snack ban on yourself, limit yourself to just 1 or 2 pieces per snack. Another way to prevent yourself from snacking more is to engage in a conversation with others. By talking more, it will keep you distracted and pay less attention to the snacks as well. Also, when it comes to main meals, pick a smaller plate to pace yourself and exercise self discipline. Bigger plates tend to encourage larger quantities of food and you definitely do not want to be overeating, especially when you have several visiting lined up one after another.
Overall, during this Lunar New Year, moderation is key when it comes to indulging in festive delicacies, be mindful of your portion sizes, keep your body moving and stay active and lastly stay hydrated by drinking plenty of plain water ! If you are looking to burn those festive calories and get to know more about losing weight and watching your diet, you can Drop us a WhatsApp message at +65 8812 0110 or book a personal training trial with one of our dedicated trainers at only SGD $50!
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