The holidays are coming and every woman thinks about what outfit, hairstyle and makeup to wear for Christmas and New Year’s Eve party. But the holidays are also that time of the year when we usually eat whatever we want, whenever we want and that usually makes us a few pounds heavier. That’s why after the holidays we want some quick and easy weight loss diet that’ll help us lose a pond or two.
If you have a New Year’s resolution to lose more than 5-10 pounds and to have a healthy diet and lifestyle, then you’ll need a long term diet with lots of exercise, and these short term diets are not for you. But if you want to lose 1-2 pounds, then you’ll probably like these short term diets. However, you should know that fast diets don’t offer a long-term weight loss and you can get that yo-yo effect especially if you continue eating unhealthy food and don’t exercise.
Important! Consult your doctor before starting a weight loss diet especially if you have some health issues.
Here are 2 diets and 7 ways to lose weight after the holidays:
2 day diet – Lose 1 pound
If you are a person who can’t bother with the daily dietary control, here’s a simple two day diet that can help you lose one pound in two days. The important thing about this diet is that you can eat almost anything you want during the day, but your calorie intake for one day shouldn’t be more than 500 calories.
Example menus of 2 day diet:
Menu option 1:
Breakfast (Berry yogurt) – 79 calories: 3 tablespoons of fat free plain yogurt (24 calories), 1.7 oz of raspberries (19 calories), 1.7 oz of strawberries (16 calories) and 1.7 grams of blackberries (20 calories).
Lunch: A bowl of vegetable soup – around 170 calories
Dinner: One baked egg with tomato salsa (huevos rancheros) – around 215 calories
Menu option 2:
Breakfast: 10 oz of watermelon (96 calories)
Lunch: 1/2 wholegrain pita bread filled with fresh lettuce, tomato, 2 oz grilled chicken breast and topped with one tablespoon of low fat plain yogurt with a little salt and garlic – around 162 calories
Dinner: One big tomato stuffed with cooked quinoa, feta cheese, olives and spring onion and slightly baked. – around 240 calories
You can make your own daily menu, but the calorie intake should be no more than 500 calories per day. Have this diet just for two days and no more than that. Make sure that you drink plenty of water too.
3 day diet – Lose 2-3 pounds
In this 3 day diet diet you’ll consume about 800 calories every day. It has 400 calories less than the recommended minimum daily needs of women. Therefore it’s very important not to have this diet for more than three days and have it only if you are ready for this type of weight loss. With this diet you will lose about 1-2 pounds and in some cases 3-4 pounds depending on your body and metabolism.
Example menu of 3 day diet:
Day 1:
Breakfast: One boiled egg; 1 slice of wholegrain bread, one cucumber and a cup of coffee or tea without sugar.
Lunch: A vegetable salad made from one tomato, half a red onion, 2 bell peppers, 1 boiled egg and parsley. Season the salad with the juice of half a lemon, salt and black pepper.
Dinner: 5.5 oz of grilled chicken breast, one tomato, one cucumber and a piece of wholegrain toast. You can drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil on top of your tomato and cucumber and sprinkle a little bit of salt.
Day 2:
Breakfast: Two slices of wholegrain bread spread with a thin layer of butter; two tomatoes and one tablespoon of low fat cottage cheese.
Lunch: 5.5 oz of grilled fish, seasoned with lemon juice and a pinch of salt and vegetable salad made from one cucumber and a half a red onion sprinkled with lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Dinner: 4 baked apples seasoned with a dash of cinnamon.
Day 3:
Breakfast: 10 oz of fruits such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, apples and watermelon and 1/4 cup of low fat plain yogurt.
Lunch: Salad made from 3.5 oz of boiled chicken, 1/2 cup of shredded cabbage and one tomato, seasoned with freshly squeezed lemon juice, a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.
Dinner: 1/4 cup of mushrooms sauteed with 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Mix them with 1 oz of boiled corn, a little spring onion, one small cucumber, parsley, salt and black pepper.
7 ways to lose weight after the holidays:
Each diet requires time and energy. If you can stick to a short term strict diet, that’s great, but if it’s a little bit hard for you, then here are 7 ways to lose weight after the holidays:
Drink plenty of water. Your body needs water to stay hydrated and to flush out the toxins, and as a bonus, it contains no calories and can significantly reduce your hunger.
Don’t skip your breakfast. You’ve probably heard it many times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it’s true. If you skip your breakfast thinking that you’ll consume fewer calories during the day, you’ll probably feel hungry the rest of the day and you’ll crave unhealthy food. A healthy breakfast will keep you satiated throughout the day and you’ll avoid overeating.
Don’t eat two hours before bedtime. Eat less at night, because you’re less active during the evening. Try to consume 2/3 of your daily calories during the first half of the day. If you can’t bear the cravings, eat a cucumber. Cucumber is mostly water and it has very little calories.
Exercise. You’ve probably exercised more during the summer days, but during fall and winter it’s really difficult to walk and move around while it’s raining or snowing outside. If you want to lose some weight during fall and winter, then it’s best to find some indoor activity. You can skip on a rope, go to aerobics classes or do some home exercise like pilates or Tae Bo.
Control the size of your portions. It is better to eat several times a day but in small portions. Don’t put a lot of food on your plate. Many people eat until they empty their plate, whether it will cause them to overeat or not. Be careful when you’re out at a restaurant. The plates in restaurants have way more food than you need. If you don’t want to overeat, you can ask the waiter to pack the rest of the food so you can take it home or you can share it with your friends or partner.
Avoid emotional overeating. Many people feel slightly depressed during fall and winter, so they seek comfort in food. Unhappy people usually eat more unhealthy foods like chocolate and pasta, and they tend to overeat. If you feel depressed, don’t reach for food. Whenever you reach for something to eat, consider whether you’re really hungry or your desire to eat is because you’re in a bad mood.
Be motivated. In order to lose weight, you need to be motivated and stay motivated. You can talk and exercise with a friend who wants to lose weight and you can encourage one another. Set a realistic goal for your weight loss, so you won’t be disappointed.
