How To Enjoy The Holidays And Avoid The Sneaky Holiday Weight

Why does the holiday season tend to put a few extra pounds on us? Well, let’s think about what we all tend do as we proceed to celebrate the season…

*We overindulge in high-calorie foods (rich desserts, marbled meats, rich sauce & gravies…sound familiar?)

*We eat large amounts of food in one sitting (“the feast” syndrome)

*Alcohol is flowing over the holidays, be it champagne, spiked eggnog, mixed drinks, or wine

*We get out of our usual exercise schedule because we are busy with other holiday events.

While the season is full of celebrations with family and friends, the weight gain can creep up on us all. But here are four things you can do to manage your weight and still celebrate the season to the fullest!

#1  Practice mindful eating.

If you eat quickly, you aren’t tasting and enjoying those holiday foods you love. Instead, eat slowly, savoring every bite and letting your taste buds truly taste all of the flavors and aromas in the dish. Remember all of your taste buds are on your tongue so once you swallow—the tasting party is over. In a party or buffet situation, survey the food area and know your options before deciding which holiday foods you will choose for that meal. Try to choose the special foods you can only eat during the holidays or celebrations.

#2 Switch to zero-calorie beverage options throughout the holiday time.

Over the season it’s particularly helpful to find easy places to trim calories. If you are throwing a party or dinner, make sure you have plenty of zero-calorie drink options for your guests. If you are a guest, BYOBeverage such as diet soda, unsweetened flavored green or white tea, sparkling water or club soda. If you decide to drink alcohol, keep it to one or two drinks per night and alternate alcoholic drinks with these options.

#3 Have your pumpkin pie and eat it too!

This is easy to do by doing two easy things. First, serve yourself petite portions of the desserts you love and use small forks, spoons and plates. This visually discourages over eating and the small eating utensils help slow you down for maximum enjoyment. Second, don’t forget to enjoy them mindfully by being in the moment and truly tasting every bite!

#4  Stay physically active throughout the holiday season.

This helps relieve stress and keeps your metabolism all fired up at a time when we are likely to eat and drink a little extra. Find ways to be active anywhere by taking the stairs, opting for a parking space at the mall which is a little further away or taking a walk around the neighborhood to look at decorations with the family.

Happy Holidays!

Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, is the author of 25 books on nutrition and healthy cooking and has worked as a nutrition expert/writer for a variety of organizations including WebMD.com, national magazines, Universities and The Coca-Cola Company. Elaine is known as THE RECIPE DOCTOR through her syndicated column she wrote for 10 years and numerous appearances on television and radio.