Help Hold that Winter Weight Gain Away!
Even though this time of year may bring on additional stresses and challenges, there are ways to find balance and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The festivities don't have to be eliminated or avoided. You can have a fabulous time while maintaining your weight and your fitness regimen.
The secret to achieving a fun and healthy holiday time is to take a moderate approach in what you eat and how much exercise you do. So this season, get a head start on the New Year instead of starting January with extra pounds to lose.
Create a plan ahead of time. Before the holidays sneak up on you, create a plan for incorporating fitness and good nutrition into your daily routine. Evaluate your holiday schedule and then determine how much time you will realistically have available to devote to working out. Here are some Happy Healthy Holiday suggestions:
Party Pointers:
- Don’t go to a party hungry. Think about the types of foods present at holiday parties - they may not always be the most healthful. If you go to a party hungry you are more likely to overeat. When attending a holiday function, try to eat ahead of time to lessen your hunger. If the party is in the evening, eat breakfast, lunch and a snack beforehand. Balance party foods and meals with other meals. Eat smaller meals with fewer calories during the day so you can enjoy the party - without exceeding one’s energy intake for the whole day. For those smaller meals, include low-fat protein as well as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains for fiber. Since you have eaten meals earlier in the day, you'll be less tempted to go overboard and eat everything in sight. However, if you instead starve all day long attempting to "save up" all your calories for the party, you will be so famished by the time it begins that it will be difficult not to overeat.
- When at a party, scout out healthy food options rather than doing a grab and run on all the unhealthy selections. For example, vegetable sticks (without dip), fruit pieces, plain chicken pieces, etc. Then move on to some of the less healthy offerings. You will be less likely to overindulge on these foods if you have already filled-up on some of the healthier items. Yet, you will not feel deprived or unsatisfied.
- Know what to skip at holiday dinners, skip the gravy, dressings, and high-calorie condiments. For dinner parties, skip dessert or choose fresh fruit if it is available. If you are served a desert, eat half. Remember, smaller is better. When the food at a party is being served buffet-style, make one trip through the buffet line and take only small amounts of the foods that you really like. If possible, use a salad plate so that your plate looks full and it provides portion control. Don't linger at the buffet or in the kitchen. If you loiter in close proximity to all the guilty temptations, you'll struggle to keep from unconsciously shoveling food into your mouth.
- Focus on socializing. Remember one of the great things about the holidays is spending time with friends and family. During get-togethers spend the majority of time sharing conversation instead of sharing desserts. · Socialize away from the food table. This will reduce the temptation to overeat and allow you to focus on the great conversations you are having with your friends, family, and co-workers.
On the Job …
- For office parties, try to get involved in the planning process to help ensure that some healthy foods will be available. Offer to bring a fresh fruit or vegetable tray, baked tortilla chips and salsa, or pretzels. If you are offering to bring a dish that has been modified to lower the fat and calorie content, be sure to try out the dish at home in advance to make sure the taste is still acceptable.
- If you work in an office setting be prepared for the deluge of guilty treats your co-workers and other business associates will graciously want to share. Stash your own healthy snacks in your desk so you won't be tempted to overindulge when your grumbling stomach demands a 3:00 snack time.
Holiday Cheer …
- Consume alcohol in moderation, if at all. This tip has as much to do with common sense and safety as it does nutrition. For example, an 8-ounce glass of nonalcoholic eggnog contains more than 340 calories. Add alcohol to the eggnog and the calories increase to nearly 450. Plus, those calories from alcohol tend to be stored as fat. The average alcoholic drink contains 150 - 200 calories per glass. Indulge in just 2-3 drinks and you've drunk the equivalent calories of an entire meal. If you partake in these beverages, choose wisely. For example, instead of having a full glass of wine, try mixing half a glass of wine with sparkling water or with a diet soda. This will help cut your calories in half.
- Sparkling water in a champagne glass with a strawberry or slice of lemon or lime can be just as festive.
Holiday Shopping …
- Pack the 2 H’s: H2O (water) and Healthy Snacks when you’re running errands or shopping. Then after you work-up a big appetite, you won't be tempted to grab something at the mall food court or the fast food restaurant on the way home.
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