Christmas is usually a time of putting the diet on hold for a week and indulging in your favourite festive treats. It might be easy to ‘forget’ to count your calories and reach for that last slice of cheese, but do you know just how many calories are in what you’re eating and drinking?
According to a study by Wren Kitchens, the average person packs away 5,373 calories on Christmas day. That’s twice the recommended daily average for men and three times the RDA for women. It would take the average person 208 hours (or 8.6 days) of non-stop walking to burn that off. To find out how many calories you need to eat in a day to lose or maintain your weight, view our Calorie Deficit Calculator.
Studies also show that on average, people put on 4Ibs in the time between Christmas eve and New Year’s Day after taking on all those calories. To undo that ‘damage’, it takes until Easter.
“The main issue is that people on a weight loss journey tend to throw all the rules out of the window for maybe just a couple of days but they don’t realise how damaging this can be.
“You might be making some really good progress but it’s easy to undo all of that if you’re not careful about what you’re putting into your body.
“The main thing to remember is that losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint. So, finding the balance between enjoying your Christmas and not going overboard is the right thing to do. Try to focus on portion sizes and put a lot less calorific foods on your plate like roast potatoes. Sprouts can be just as nice and a lot better for you and your diet!”
Victoria Billingham, Head of patient care at Healthier Weight
Although we’re all guilty of eating more than we usually would over the festive period, perhaps the biggest contributor is our alcohol consumption. Did you know that there are over 200 calories in a glass of red wine? There are over 200 in a pint of beer and in a measly 100ml helping of Bailey’s, there are a whopping 327 calories!
The below infographic shows how many calories are in some of our favourite festive tipples.
It’s easy to forget the amount of calories that are in alcohol, but cutting down on high calorie drinks is a leap in the right direction. We don’t get that same feeling of fullness from liquids, so everything in moderation remains the golden rule.
Christmas after weight loss surgery
Eating is one of the most common concerns people considering weight loss surgery will ask about at their consultation, especially with regards to family events like Christmas.
“Will I be able to eat the same things?”
“What should I say to my family?”
“Will it seem rude to not eat as much as everyone else?”
Every patient, ever
These are familiar questions that our patient care team hear on a regular basis. Generally, patients will be able to eat exactly the same after their life-changing procedure as long as they stick to a few guidelines.
“We set the same dietary and nutritional guidelines for each patient in order to maximise their chances of success. Once you have completed your pre-op diet and have gone through the liquid stage followed by the pureed food stage, we encourage you to get back to eating solid foods.
“We must remember that it takes up to 20 minutes for our body to begin to tell us that we’re full. As long as you take smaller mouthfuls and remember to chew your food and eat slowly, you won’t be at any danger of eating too much. If we stick to this rule, we will stop eating when we’re no longer hungry as opposed to when we’re full. That’s exactly what we want!”
Mr Rishi Singhal, Healthier Weight Medical Director
Whether you’ve had the gastric band, gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, ESG or any other weight loss procedure, you will be satisfied with smaller portions. So, to ensure you’re keeping healthy, it’s important that what you eat is packed full of the correct nutrients. To make it easier to stay on top of your food intake, we have ourportion control plate. But don’t just take our word for it, at a recent patient success day, we asked our patients what they eat over Christmas. Watch the video below.
Video: Can I eat Christmas dinner after weight loss surgery?
Let’s be honest, 2020 has been a write-off, an utterly dismal year and one that we’ll all be glad to see the back of. We haven’t had much to celebrate so it’s important to enjoy this Christmas as best we can. Many people will be ready to achieve their goals in the new year, so try to set yourself up for success by sticking to those smaller portions and by keeping an eye on what you’re drinking. 2021 will be better, we hope!
If you’re thinking of kick-starting your weight loss journey in the new year but aren’t sure which procedure is right for you, why not call the Healthier Weight team on 0800 313 4618 to get some information on the surgical and non-surgical treatment options available to you, or click the button below to get a quote.
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