How to get through the holidays and celebrations without the added pounds 05.19.2007
Many people are concerned about getting through the holidays and still being able to stick to their diet. There have been studies to show people gain many pounds over the holidays, mostly during the time from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas. During this time, most people will gain only a pound, however, the pounds add up year after year and it might be the leading reason why so many people are considered obese.
It does not matter if you just started a diet or if you are almost to your ideal weight, most find it difficult to decline all of the temptations the holidays bring. You do not have to stop being social during the holiday, you need to stay on track, but you can celebrate and not gain any weight during the holiday season all at the same time with a little added effort.
For those who indulge, give yourself an extra ten minutes of exercise if you are going to eat gourmet snacks and such. Eat light during the morning and early afternoon to save most of your daily calories for dinner without overindulging. In addition, you should not allow yourself to go to a dinner hungry, as this is when you are more likely to binge at the buffet table.
It is always best if you are the host or hostess, so you control the menu and you serve healthy foods such as fruit and veggies instead of the cookies and candy treats. You can avoid temptation by just staying away from the food. Think of it all like this: as long as you do not know there is chocolate cake, you won’t want to eat chocolate cake.
Lay off the alcohol because drinks tend to have high calories, this is when you drink water or a juice spritzer so you will be able to cut back on the calories. Remember one glass of eggnog, with rum, can have 450 or more calories and that is a lot! Find self control by tasting a little of everything, but avoiding things you know you don’t like, so you save calories by having a little of everything, but you are not overindulging in any one high calorie meal or entree.
Do not forget to document the food intake by getting a journal. Keep a diary of the things you eat so you can keep yourself ‘inline’ with your diet and your goals. When you purchase a small notebook, keep it in your purse or pocket to help you to monitor your holiday goodies. You monitor yourself, and this helps you realize just how much work you are going to have to do to burn off the calories you are eating now.
One final tip is: at holiday gatherings, guests bring something to a party. As a guest bring something you will be able to eat that won’t ruin your diet eating either.
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