Avoid festive weight gain with these handy tricks

By Siddhi Jain

New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANSlife) It's that time of the year again. Festivals bring happiness and give one an opportunity to spend quality time with friends and family. However, it is difficult to resist the sumptuous treats that are laid out for everyone to enjoy during this time.

After the festive season, many people spend a lot of time trying to lose the holiday weight they had put on. Jitendra Chouksey, CEO and founder of online fitness company SQUATS, lays down these tips to avoid the festival food hangover:

*Don't feel compelled to eat everything

Festival food comes in all types of flavours and hues and you will want to eat a little of everything. Don't give in to that temptation! Filling up your plate with mounds of ghee-laden sweets and deep-fried savouries is a sure way of adding inches to your waistline. Instead, practice discretion and eat just a select few items -- the host won't mind.

*Just one serving, please!

Walking back to the table for second (and third servings) may add to your daily steps but will do nothing for your health. Restrict yourself to just one small serving of the festive snacks, if you want to avoid gaining weight.

*Reduce other calories

Have an evening of revelry planned with friends and family? Make sure you're not eating much during the day. You can also try Intermittent Fasting on the day of the social gathering. What that means is that you restrict yourself to low calorie foods or zero calorie beverages during the day and reserve the bulk of your day's caloric intake for the evening.

But what happens if you do fall off the wagon and stuff yourself silly during the festival? Well, it's not the end of the world. Just go right back to your diet the next day. Don't let a bad day of eating turns into a bad week or month. You've only hit a small bump in your fitness journey, shake it off and start anew! Remember, you only fail if you don't get up again.

(Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in)