Don’t starve for the holidays

Why do we tend to gain more weight during the holidays? The reason is simply because there is more access to food around the holiday season. Neighbors invite you for drinks, family members invite you to dinner, co-workers invite you to office parties and there are candies, chocolates and Christmas goodies on people’s desks at work. These temptations make it much harder to stick to your regular eating habits.

To avoid that slow weight gain during the holidays and still enjoy the party atmosphere, here are a few things I suggest you can do.

1. Do not skip meals.

Many of us skip a few meals to leave room for a big eating event.  When you starve ahead, however, you won’t make good decisions about what you will eat.

So instead of skipping meals, have some low fat food beforehand.  You can have soup or some fruit. By curbing your appetite, you can make better food choices.

2. Talk when your mouth is not full. 

Socialize, meet new people. The more you talk, the less you’ll eat.

3. Learn to say no. 

If you’re afraid to disappoint your host, learn to say any of the following: "No, thank you. I’m already full" or "I appreciate all of your efforts and I’ve enjoyed every bite." or "If you want me to have more, I can take them home."

4. Control the size of your food portions. 

If for example you love Christmas cookies, have only a sampling of it. Try only one serving of the food that you have chosen.

5. If we have time to shop for Christmas gifts, let’s not forget to have time for exercise. 

The holiday season is no reason to stop exercising. Try and have your regular exercise.

6. Be careful of add-ons. 

Don’t cover your plate with too much gravy or stuffing which is often made with butter or meat drippings which are extremely fattening.

7. Create borders.

As you fill your plate, maintain a space between your food, just enough so you can see the plate. The result? You’ll automatically keep portions at a more reasonable size.

8. If you’re having turkey or steak, trim off the fat.

9. Wear something snug and not loose. 

It will become your restraining device for your stomach.

10. Visualize.

Before going to the party, visualize mentally how you will conduct yourself during the event. Think of the good food choices you will make. Think of the size of the food portions on your plate. Visualize that you’ll have a great time without going overboard with your food. Think of your end in mind.

Happy holidays! (E-mail me at babyjackster@yahoo.com)