So many chocolate eggs, double servings of wonderful glazed ham and it’s no wonder that my pants don’t fit that well after Easter. So how to deal with the sometimes-necessary post-Easter weight loss? There are a few things you can try. Nothing too complicated or too restrictive.
It always seems strange to me that once Halloween happens, we live in a non-stop holiday. There’s Thanksgiving, then Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day with its chocolate treats and then there’s Easter. The Cornell Food Lab did research on this and found that people actually manage to lose the winter holidays weight gain after Easter because the holidays just keep on coming. People usually gain about 1.3 pounds during the holiday season, which peaks during Christmas, and then finally lose this weight after Easter.
So now that Easter has come and gone, again, with its many treats, and it seems that spring is finally at our door, it’s time to get of our butts and get just a tiny bit in shape. The following list doesn’t have huge sacrifices, just small and effective tips for you.
6 tips and tricks for post-Easter weight loss
1. Enjoy the spring cornucopia
Take advantage of the fresh produce brought over by the warm weather. So many green things. Let go of potato dishes, which tend to be a bit on the unhealthy side, and go for artichokes, asparagus, avocado, fennel, fresh beets, and radishes, among others. Radishes also help you cultivate luminous skin, so it’s a win-win! I want to give a glowing review to spring onions as well, which I like to have as a snack, dipping one in a tiny mound of salt and chomping it away until there’s nothing left.
Bonus? Greens have more fiber and they’re more likely to leave you satisfied after your meal.
2. Work on optical portion control
There are studies out there that tell us we can trick ourselves when it comes to having smaller or bigger servings. If you’re having fatty foods, plate size matters! Use a smaller plate and you’re less likely to have a second serving. And if you want to trick your brain to do the right thing and have more healthy food, place your greens or salads on a larger plate or in a larger bowl and you’ll get more nutrients that way!
3. Run for at least 10 minutes
Do this a few times every week: 3-4 should do the trick. And we don’t recommend this just because you’ll lose weight like that, but because it will make you feel more relaxed and happy. And also satisfied that you are doing something for yourself. A lot of cravings are trying to fill some sort of emotional void, so working on your emotional state is quite important if you’re going to make this post-Easter weight loss thing work.
Running will also give you more energy (thus replacing sugary snacks in some capacity) and it will help regulate your appetite.
4. Work on sleeping well
Daylight savings time just happened recently, and it really destroyed my sleeping schedule (probably because I am getting older). Not to mention that long weekends and celebrating with family usually throws off circadian rhythms. If that’s the case for you, too, then work on regulating your sleep. My advice is always the same: take a shower and go to bed one hour before you want to be asleep. Don’t look at your phone, tablet, or laptop. Take up a book – this helps me disconnect from my thoughts and worries every night.
Don’t forget that lack of sleep is one of the causes of binge-eating, so a good night’s sleep is always important to your diet.
5. Keep your meal schedule tight
Eating at regular times really helps with post-Easter weight loss. If your body is accustomed to a meal schedule, the results can only be positive. If you skip a meal, then your energy levels will lower considerably, and you’ll be prone to fatty and sugary snacking.
6. Don’t make too many changes
Don’t give up on everything sweet. You probably still have some Easter leftovers and it would be sad to throw them away. Instead, just have less of the sweet foods than you did during the holidays. Reduce the quantities gradually, so your body won’t be that desperate for sugar treats. Plus, if you just set aside everything you like, you’re more likely to give in to temptation when cravings come knocking at your door.
