Trim your tree -- and waistline -- this holiday season
Most Americans pack on five to eight pounds every year during the holidays. Baked goods, butter-laden side dishes, breads, and fatty main courses can make it hard to control your weight during the holidays.
But don't throw away Santa's cookies just yet. It's easy to maintain your weight -- and the holiday spirit -- with a little planning. To help, I've put together my top 10 tips for staying on track this holiday season.
1. During holiday dinners, choose white meat versus dark meat chicken or turkey. White meat is lower in calories and fat. Compare 150 calories and 9 grams of fat in white meat, to 210 calories and 17 grams of fat in dark meat.
2. Maintain your normal exercise routine. Continuing to exercise during the holidays will help burn extra calories you might be consuming at holiday parties. If you can't get to the gym, fit in an after-dinner walk, or power walk around the mall while doing holiday shopping.
3. Don't skip meals. Many people think skipping a meal will afford them the ability to eat more at parties or special occasions. But skipping meals will make you hungrier, and more likely to overeat later.
4. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. Water helps you feel full, and can combat the bloating and water weight gain caused by salty foods offered at many parties.
5. Position yourself away from the food table. Staying in another room might prevent you from mindlessly picking at appetizers and finger foods. On Christmas, visit the buffet table only once. A typical Christmas dinner packs a whopping 3,550 calories, and that's if you stick with reasonable portions.
6. Don't try to cut out high-fat holiday favorites like eggnog and candied sweet potatoes. Instead, allow yourself a small taste of your favorite holiday treats, and fill the rest of your plate with lower-fat choices, such as apples, cranberry dishes, baked squash, pumpkin, breads, and pastas.
7. Eat something before going to an event serving alcohol. The effects of alcohol are felt much more quickly on an empty stomach, and can lead to overeating and overdrinking. Try drinking one glass of water between alcoholic beverages.
8. Offer to bring a favorite low-calorie dish to holiday parties. That way, you know there will be at least one "healthy" item available.
9. Center entertainment on non-food events. These can include going ice-skating, renting a holiday movie, building a snowman, or singing carols.
10. Focus your attention on the people gathered at holiday celebrations. They're the real reason for the occasion, after all. And focus on your personal weight loss journey, too, so that come New Year's Eve, you can have extra cause for celebration.
Happy holidays, everyone!
But don't throw away Santa's cookies just yet. It's easy to maintain your weight -- and the holiday spirit -- with a little planning. To help, I've put together my top 10 tips for staying on track this holiday season.
1. During holiday dinners, choose white meat versus dark meat chicken or turkey. White meat is lower in calories and fat. Compare 150 calories and 9 grams of fat in white meat, to 210 calories and 17 grams of fat in dark meat.
2. Maintain your normal exercise routine. Continuing to exercise during the holidays will help burn extra calories you might be consuming at holiday parties. If you can't get to the gym, fit in an after-dinner walk, or power walk around the mall while doing holiday shopping.
3. Don't skip meals. Many people think skipping a meal will afford them the ability to eat more at parties or special occasions. But skipping meals will make you hungrier, and more likely to overeat later.
4. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. Water helps you feel full, and can combat the bloating and water weight gain caused by salty foods offered at many parties.
5. Position yourself away from the food table. Staying in another room might prevent you from mindlessly picking at appetizers and finger foods. On Christmas, visit the buffet table only once. A typical Christmas dinner packs a whopping 3,550 calories, and that's if you stick with reasonable portions.
6. Don't try to cut out high-fat holiday favorites like eggnog and candied sweet potatoes. Instead, allow yourself a small taste of your favorite holiday treats, and fill the rest of your plate with lower-fat choices, such as apples, cranberry dishes, baked squash, pumpkin, breads, and pastas.
7. Eat something before going to an event serving alcohol. The effects of alcohol are felt much more quickly on an empty stomach, and can lead to overeating and overdrinking. Try drinking one glass of water between alcoholic beverages.
8. Offer to bring a favorite low-calorie dish to holiday parties. That way, you know there will be at least one "healthy" item available.
9. Center entertainment on non-food events. These can include going ice-skating, renting a holiday movie, building a snowman, or singing carols.
10. Focus your attention on the people gathered at holiday celebrations. They're the real reason for the occasion, after all. And focus on your personal weight loss journey, too, so that come New Year's Eve, you can have extra cause for celebration.
Happy holidays, everyone!
Labels: Healthy holiday eating, Tips
posted by Jennifer Boyer @ 11:03 AM
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