The end of Diwali almost always signals the beginning of a party season, which goes on till the end of the year. With Halloween, Christmas and New Year parties round the corner, it’s no surprise that the end of the year always gets most tired souls to resolve to stay fit starting next year, with renewed gym memberships and renewed vigour.
However, diet and nutrition consultant Khushboo Sahijwani says that one can try to reduce the impact of these parties from word go. “It’s a challenge, considering all the social parties one has to attend, but there are certain ways to stick to your routine,” she explains. “Try to not miss your workouts, which can help you burn calories. One can also consume a light dinner or breakfast, comprising of just a bowl of different fruits and a cup of yoghurt.”
Agrees Suman Agarwal, nutritionist and founder of Self Care, “Make sure one of your meals follow the mono diet. This ensures that it is light on your stomach. So, you can have khichdi or chicken soup with some stir fried veggies. If you’re a vegetarian, take some veggies and sprouts, as well as buttermilk. The idea is to omit carbs from dinner.”
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She does have a warning for those attempting this, though. “Don’t try to cut carbohydrates from your diet completely, as this will make your body want to binge instead. Try to reduce the intake of carbs in your diet.”
Suman points out that a lot of youngsters tend to overindulge in alcohol during the festive period, and going off drinks for a bit could be a good idea for a bit. “Detox in its true sense is to not overdo foodstuff that you have been binging on. So besides alcohol, chocolates, fried items, papads, potatoes, ice creams and cold drinks should be out the window,” she asserts. “If you remove these from your diet, at least, the weight gain will first stop. Go back to a basic and healthy diet, and you should start losing weight.”
Suman believes that ramping up your workouts can help, but only to a certain extent. “Yes, you can resort to exercising harder, but that doesn’t mean you can binge without any guilt, just because you stretched your workout a little longer,” grins Khushboo, adding, “During the festive season, make sure you increase your liquid intake by drinking more water, green tea, green coffee, and coconut water.”
Explains Suman, “If you can, you should ideally try to work out a little more than you do. Once or twice a week — when you have a day off or can leave work early — hit the gym twice. Do your regular workout, followed by some more. That should get you on track again.”
