Fit & Slim at Christmas in Spite of Gingerbread, Cookie & Shortbread Season – Part I
As beautiful as the holiday season is… it is still the big obstacle when it comes to your ideal weight. A major obstacle to staying slim at Christmas is the tradition of baking calorie bombs like gingerbread, shortbread and all sorts of cookies. The good news, however, is that cookies and fitness can get along rather well – provided one knows how to deal with those sweet and delicious treats!
Both “traditional” and “low-cal” cookies contain a certain amount of calories. In the end, it is the amount of cookies eaten that counts. We want to present you some simple rules for baking, decorating and enjoying that can help you continue to pursue your health, fitness & weight goals throughout “cookie season.”
Let’s get started & turn on the oven…
Be your own baker
Bake your own cookies. This way, you can determine and therefore reduce the calorie content of your cookies. Check out our next blog post with delicious recipes for low-cal cookies.
Take your time
Don’t start baking too early. Even though cookies, advent calendars & other foodie traditions sometimes kick off as early as October, you don’t have to jump in as soon as possible. This will only prolong the duration of the temptations. Believe us: Cookies taste the best when eaten on Christmas Eve, after some time of pleasant anticipation!
Quality over quantity
Bake fewer, but more elaborate cookie varieties. If you bake loads of them, you’ll most likely want to try them all and therefore ingest more calories in total.
Less is more
Try to form rather small cookies when baking. The smaller the cookies, the more different types you can try without taking in too many calories. Plus, you can roll out your dough really thin to save on calories.
Focus on baking
Don’t snack on you cookie dough – it’s not necessary to taste when baking cookies. Enjoy them only when they are done. The waiting is worth its while! One more tip: Brush your teeth or have a refreshing mint before baking to avoid the temptation!
See, smell, taste & ENJOY
Out of sight, out of mind
Don’t use your cookie plates for decoration purposes. Store your cookies in a container to keep them fresh longer and to avoid temptation.
You eat with your eyes
Decorate a lovely cookie plate: Prepare a small plate with a nice napkin and just a few cookies. Use apples and mandarins to fill the gaps. This way you can save calories and while adding an extra dose of vitamins.
Moderation
When eating cookies, it is the amount and type that counts. Gingerbread or macarons, for instance, contain fewer calories than shortbread. Have your cookies for dessert instead of snacking on them between meals – first get your fill, then get your sweet treat.
No remorse
It’s important to be able to enjoy! Enjoy your cookies consciously and wait a minute before grabbing the next one. Don’t consider them your enemies, but make them your friends and avoid the remorse.
