Do you find it hard to stick to your diet, when you come face-to-face with that tempting wedding feast? Well, you are not alone in your struggle! Many of us succumb to overeating during the wedding season, leading to excess weight gain and sabotaged weight loss efforts.
To ensure that your diet stays on track this wedding season, we have come up with 15 ingenious tips on how to eat healthy at a wedding and beat the weight gain! Now, when you plan on going to a wedding, make sure you keep all these tips in mind.
Don’t starve!
Many people tend to starve themselves before having a heavy wedding dinner in the hope that it will help keep the kilos away. But believe us, starving doesn’t help! Starving slows down metabolism and can result in unwanted weight gain. So instead of starving yourself, eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day and keep your meals light.
Grab a snack
The best thing to do before heading out for a wedding is to snack on something healthy and light. This will help keep you feeling full until you reach the venue and prevent you from stuffing yourself with unhealthy appetizers. Opt for fresh fruits, a bowl of clear soup or a glass of milk.
Limit the finger food
Deep-fried cheese balls, paneer tikkas, crispy fish fingers. Yes, all these appetizers are tempting! If you load up on all this oily food, you’re going to feel too full by dinner time and may end up overeating. But, you don’t have to avoid the appetizers completely; simply do not indulge in too many. Limit yourself to 2-3 pieces of appetizers.
Eat first, drink later
Avoid drinking alcohol on an empty stomach. It can aggravate acidity, slow down metabolism and cause unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels. Also, make sure you eat before you drink and limit your alcohol intake to 1-2 drinks, and no more, especially if you’re driving back home!
Click here to read more about the causes of acidity.
Stick to water
Like alcohol, aerated drinks and sugary sherbets are also bad for health. Instead of the colas, sodas, and the sherbets, opt for fresh fruit juices or lime juice. If juices are not available, stick to good old water.
Get on your feet
Take a walk around the venue, go catch up with some old friends or shake a leg on the dancefloor! This will help keep your metabolism up and aid digestion.
Cut the carbs
Dinner rolls, chapatis, tandoori rotis, romali rotis! Carbs are everywhere, but it’s up to you to play it smart. Opt for just 1 bread or roti type, not all of them! The best option would be a romali roti or a small chapatti, because they contain fewer calories and are not as unhealthy as the rest.
Play food-inspector
Before grabbing your dinner-plate and queuing up in the buffet line, take a quick walk around the dining hall and check what is being served. Make a mental note in your head and judiciously choose which dishes you want to have and which ones you want to avoid. This way you won’t end up with an overflowing food plate.
Be a picky-eater
If there was ever a time to be a picky eater, it’s now! Choose the food carefully and only put it on your plate if you are going to finish it. Stick to 4-5 dishes only and don’t take more than a spoonful of each dish.
Say YES to Salads!
Salads are one of the healthiest foods available at a wedding, so take advantage of them. Even if you’re not a salad person, ensure you allocate at least 1/3rd of your plate to some fresh fruits and veggies. Since the rest of the food on your plate is bound to be spicy and oily, salads will help balance acidity levels in the body and save you from heartburn.
Click here to know which foods trigger heartburn.
Tame your tummy
Don’t stuff your body with more food than it can handle. It will only leave you feeling bloated and guilty the next day. Try and eat an early dinner and keep a check on your portion sizes.
Eat smart
Wedding buffets are a treasure trove of delicious food and exotic cuisines. But remember to think with your head, and not with your stomach! Here are some healthy wedding dinner choices you can make:
- Soups
- Salads
- Grilled foods
- Steamed foods
- Wheat-based foods
Try to avoid maida-based foods, junk food (deep-fried foods, chaat), creamy gravies and sauces, and try not to club your food with a beverage.
Sign up for a FREE Consultation and get a personalised weight loss plan!
Don’t go for seconds!
Try to avoid going for second helpings. If you are still hungry after dinner, go for a second round of salads or drink 1-2 glasses of warm water. This will surely help keep you feeling full for the rest of the evening.
Dodge the dessert
Everyone likes to have a little ‘metha’ after dinner. But that’s no excuse for loading up on an unnecessary amount of desserts. Try to avoid the creamy pastries and opt for a low-fat dessert like yoghurt, fruit salad or maybe just a solitary piece of barfi or jalebi.
The day after detox
Detoxifying your system the day after the wedding is a great way to avoid weight gain. Start your day off with a glass of warm lime water and eat at least 2-3 fresh fruits before the day ends.
Now you can go ahead and enjoy the wedding season, without worrying about the weight gain. All you need to do is follow these simple tips and you will be able to enjoy each and every wedding celebration, without having to worry about betraying your diet or putting on excess weight.
To know more about how you can lose weight, not health, call our toll-free number 1800-266-0607 to get a FREE Consultation with Health Total experts!