Seven Tricks for Holiday Weight Management
The temptation of a perfectly trimmed turkey can be a powerful thing; add homemade desserts and eggnog and you’ve got a recipe for dieting disaster. Fortunately, you can tuck a few tricks up your sleeve that will help you avoid the oh-so dreaded holiday weight gain!
1. Use water. Right before you leave for a holiday party or open the doors of your home for one, drink at least one full glass of water. It fills you up just enough to take the edge off of hunger and will empower you with extra self-control.
2. Don’t show up starving. Going straight from work to a holiday gala probably means you will be salivating at the mere scent of the buffet; arm yourself with a quick snack of fresh vegetables, trail-mix or something else that will curb your enthusiasm for all of those special goodies.
3. Use small plates. Particularly with buffet-style eating, the use of a small plate can help you cut down on portion sizes, eliminating excess calories. Fill it once with healthy choices and give yourself a few minutes before deciding to get up for more.
4. Pace the meal. Diving into that delicious food quickly will probably mean you still feel hungry after one serving; chew slowly and deliberately, no matter how famished you feel. Sip room-temperature water throughout the meal and think before you reach for seconds.
5. Divert your attention from food. Despite food being the center of attention, you’ve got a lot of people to say: “hello” to! Mix and mingle at each holiday celebration, making sure you don’t miss a single friend or relative. If you can successfully get the focus off of food, you can avoid a lot of unnecessary nibbling that will really add up.
6. Don’t sample too much when cooking. Being alone in the kitchen during holiday meal preparations poses a unique challenge: taste-testing. It can be very difficult to resist temptation or even keep track of consumed calories; limit yourself to just a single sampling of each finished dish.
7. Take a walk. After the big meal, take the hand of a friend or relative you are particularly delighted to see and go for a walk with them. Catch up on old times and enjoy the pleasure of each other’s company; this will keep you far from food and you won’t even realize you’re exercising!
Celebrations the world over focus primarily on food, but you don’t have to. Stay focused on managing a healthy weight throughout the holiday season by imagining what you will look and feel like once they are over, should you over-indulge.
About the author: Machelle Moulton is a writer for Ivein.com. In her spare time she loves to study fitness, and go hiking in the surrounding Utah mountains.
