Are you expecting to feel ‘bleugh’ from indulging too much this week?

Christmas is a time for relaxing and partying, and often a time when we overdo it on food and drink.

Nichola Flood The Queen of Health

Thanks to Nichola Flood, we have some sneaky ways to tackle bloat and weight gain – without missing out on all the food and fun.

Nichola, aka The Queen of Health, is an Irish Health and Nutritional coach who supports people to lose weight, regain energy and live life to the fullest.

Here, she shares nine top tips to beat the bloat:

It’s normal to want to indulge over Christmas, but the number of people joining diet clubs and gyms in January speaks volumes about how many regret their festive binges.

But the fact is, you can still enjoy the festive season and not gain weight. And as long as you have some strategies in place before the festive season, there’s no reason why you can’t start the New Year looking and feeling fantastic.

As a qualified nutritional therapist, I work with clients to take control of their relationship with food and plan how to get through times when over-indulgence might feel hard to resist.


Here are my 9 tips for how to avoid gaining weight over Christmas, and still have fun:

1. SET A FESTIVE FOOD GOAL
It’s unrealistic to try and avoid all temptation over Christmas, but by setting a specific goal – say, limiting yourself to one treat a day, or scheduling in a quick workout once or twice a week to offset your increased calorie intake – will help you stay on track. You could even make it into a fun game and get the whole family involved!

2. EAT SMART
If you don’t have a plan (for parties, going out, visiting friends, having family over and so on) you are setting yourself up to fail. Be clear in your mind what your healthy options are, and if you know you’re going somewhere you won’t be able to eat the right foods, take some nutritious snacks or meals with you. Fill up on some protein-rich ham or leftover turkey, or keep sugar cravings at bay with a homemade energy ball before you hit the party circuit.

3. PORTION CONTROL
Eating from a smaller dish causes you to eat less, because the food itself looks more substantial. If you transfer food from a 12-inch plate to a 9-inch plate, it looks like more food and you, therefore, feel more satisfied.

4. AVOID EXCESS
Christmas excess can lead to hangovers, and hangovers often lead to poor food choices, especially a tendency to seek out sugar and starchy carbs. Research reveals that fat from certain foods, including ice cream and roast potatoes, goes straight to the brain and tells you to eat more! It triggers messages that are sent to the body’s cells, warning them to ignore appetite-suppressing hormones that regulate our weight.

The effect can last for a few days, sabotaging efforts to get back to a healthy diet afterwards. Dr Deborah Clegg, who conducted the research, explains: “Normally our body is primed to say when we’ve had enough, but that doesn’t always happen. When you eat something high in fat, your brain gets ‘hit’ with the fatty acids and you become resistant to insulin (which regulates blood sugar levels) and leptin (the hormone that suppresses hunger). Since you are not being told by the brain to stop eating, you overeat.”

5. OUT OF SIGHT
If you want a Quality Street chocolate and all you have to do is reach to the tin and help yourself, chances are you’ll end up eating 3 or 4. But if you have to get your shoes on, walk to the shop in the cold to buy some chocolate, you probably wouldn’t bother.

Ever heard yourself say “take this away from me, so I stop eating?” With food directly in front of you, it’s easy to overindulge. Once it’s removed, you realise you aren’t even hungry – you were just eating because it was there. So keep unhealthy foods out of sight in cupboards or better still, don’t buy them.

If you know they’re in the house, you might not be able to resist.

6. REMEMBER VEGETABLES
Veggies don’t need to be doused in oil and roasted to within an inch of their lives to taste good. One of my favourite festive side dishes are thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, which I flash-fry with garlic, pine nuts and a dash of white wine. It’s so tasty, I make it all year round. Slow-cooked red cabbage and apple is another fantastic way to get some much-needed nutrients.

7. SLOW DOWN
It takes around 20 minutes for your body to tell your brain that you’re full. If you eat quickly, you’re more likely to eat more. Slowing down gives you time to recognise and assess how hungry you really are.

One trick I use is counting chews (it’s tedious but, believe me, it works). If you chew a bite 10 times, you’ll eat slower. I also found myself enjoying food more, as there’s more time to actually taste what I’m eating. Eventually it becomes second nature to chew more.

If you’re in a group, try to be the first person to start eating and the last to stop. Pacing your eating like this will get you to eat more slowly without getting in your head about the specific amount that you eat.

8. CIRCLE OF SUPPORT
Emotional support is crucial when it comes to dieting. Research shows that people who felt supported by their friends and family were 50% more likely to stick to a healthy eating plan. So ask your loved ones to help you avoid temptation by not to offering you sugary treats.

Buddy up with a family member who is also trying to lose or maintain their weight. Having that moral support will boost your chances of success (and you won’t be riddled with that horrible feeling of regret the next day).

9. BE KIND TO YOURSELF
It is the season of goodwill, after all. If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up or see it as an excuse to write off the rest of the day and eat everything in sight. Just chalk it up as one bad decision and move on. You can get back on track tomorrow.

Nichola Flood The Queen of Health

If you’re resigned to Christmas weight gain and are promising yourself you’ll do something about it in the New Year, why not make a commitment to your future self by booking a FREE call with The Queen Of Health to see what the options are.

I offer a range of health and weight loss packages (online too) that can help you reach your personal health goals. You’ll be surprised how easy it can be to get to (and stay at) your happy weight queenofhealth.as.me or phone me 086 3175042

Nichola Flood is a Dublin-based member of the Women’s Inspire Network, which is coming to Donegal on the 10th of April 2019!

DonegalWoman.ie is the WIN media partner for the ‘Overcoming Challenges’ conference at Harvey’s Point. Tickets for ‘Women’s Inspire Donegal’ are out now on Eventbrite.ie. Use the code ‘donegalwoman’ for 20% off your ticket. Tickets include a full day conference, lunch, and workshops.