‘Tis the season to…gain weight? Not if we can help it! The winter season can really do a number on your waistline, but with all the temptations that lurk around every corner, who can blame you? Nearly four months of the year are dedicated to eating—from indulging in that Halloween candy in October to the Thanksgiving pies to even MORE candy on Valentine’s Day. So what’s a dieter to do to avoid the seemingly inevitable weight gain during the holiday season?
Muster up your motivation, folks, and check out these 10 ways to help plan for the impending food season:
10. Support, support, support! Encourage a friend to diet smart with you over the holidays (force may be necessary) so that you can help each other stay on track of your weight-loss goals when those extra portions start being passed around.
9. Plan ahead. Keep a food journal of the dishes that will be served at your holiday meals. Then decide what and how much you’re going to eat…and stick to it, so you don’t feel guilty later!
8. Don’t deny yourself your favorite holiday treats. During Turkey Season, it’s not so much about WHAT you eat, it’s about how MUCH of it you consume. So, enjoy your festive meal, but be mindful of those portions.
7. Set realistic goals! Don’t focus on LOSING weight during the holidays. Instead try to focus on controlling your cravings and hunger, and on maintaining your weight. Remember to stay on a smart eating plan. Scheduling your meals and and exercising will boost your confidence and keep that weight off. Speaking of which…
6. …remember to exercise! Make it a point to schedule in some physical activity before and after the big day hits. Not only will it help you burn that holiday fat, but exercise will help you ward off that sluggish and lethargic feeling that you get after one of those huge feasts.
5. A common holiday mistake that many people make is starving before the big meal. The way to avoid eating more than you anticipated is to eat a small, healthy snack an hour or so before you sit down to a big dinner. That way, you won’t be in a mad-rush to eat and will be less likely to over-indulge.
4. Forget fad diets! Experts have been saying for years that the best way to lose weight is to just eat a variety of healthy foods. So during this holiday season, make sure you’re your dinner menu has plenty of healthy (and appealing) alternatives that you can choose from.
3. Have no idea how to cook a delicious holiday meal that doesn’t involve massive quantities of fat and sugar? Get yourself a holiday cookbook that caters to your diet needs! The Cooking Light Holiday Cookbook is a terrific reference with over 350 seasonal recipes that you can pick and choose from to make a hearty and healthy holiday meal.
2. Many families like to put out some snacks or appetizers while they’re sitting in the living room waiting for dinner to be served. It’s perfectly fine to have something to munch on, but make sure that you have healthy snacks around the house so that your appetizers don’t turn into a meal.
1. You’re probably spending a lot of time and money making sure that your loved ones are happy this holiday season, but it’s important to do a little something for yourself. With a fantastic new outfit, you can make sure that all eyes are on your rather than that turkey you just brought out of the oven.
But do you really want to know the best way to avoid gaining weight during the holiday season? Remember that the celebrations are really about spending time with your family and good friends…and not food!
10. Support, support, support! Encourage a friend to diet smart with you over the holidays (force may be necessary) so that you can help each other stay on track of your weight-loss goals when those extra portions start being passed around.
9. Plan ahead. Keep a food journal of the dishes that will be served at your holiday meals. Then decide what and how much you’re going to eat…and stick to it, so you don’t feel guilty later!
8. Don’t deny yourself your favorite holiday treats. During Turkey Season, it’s not so much about WHAT you eat, it’s about how MUCH of it you consume. So, enjoy your festive meal, but be mindful of those portions.
7. Set realistic goals! Don’t focus on LOSING weight during the holidays. Instead try to focus on controlling your cravings and hunger, and on maintaining your weight. Remember to stay on a smart eating plan. Scheduling your meals and and exercising will boost your confidence and keep that weight off. Speaking of which…
6. …remember to exercise! Make it a point to schedule in some physical activity before and after the big day hits. Not only will it help you burn that holiday fat, but exercise will help you ward off that sluggish and lethargic feeling that you get after one of those huge feasts.
5. A common holiday mistake that many people make is starving before the big meal. The way to avoid eating more than you anticipated is to eat a small, healthy snack an hour or so before you sit down to a big dinner. That way, you won’t be in a mad-rush to eat and will be less likely to over-indulge.
4. Forget fad diets! Experts have been saying for years that the best way to lose weight is to just eat a variety of healthy foods. So during this holiday season, make sure you’re your dinner menu has plenty of healthy (and appealing) alternatives that you can choose from.
3. Have no idea how to cook a delicious holiday meal that doesn’t involve massive quantities of fat and sugar? Get yourself a holiday cookbook that caters to your diet needs! The Cooking Light Holiday Cookbook is a terrific reference with over 350 seasonal recipes that you can pick and choose from to make a hearty and healthy holiday meal.
2. Many families like to put out some snacks or appetizers while they’re sitting in the living room waiting for dinner to be served. It’s perfectly fine to have something to munch on, but make sure that you have healthy snacks around the house so that your appetizers don’t turn into a meal.
1. You’re probably spending a lot of time and money making sure that your loved ones are happy this holiday season, but it’s important to do a little something for yourself. With a fantastic new outfit, you can make sure that all eyes are on your rather than that turkey you just brought out of the oven.
But do you really want to know the best way to avoid gaining weight during the holiday season? Remember that the celebrations are really about spending time with your family and good friends…and not food!
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5 comments:
Here's another thought too. Should you over do a bit on THE biggest day of your family and personal holiday celebration (Christmas, Hannakah, Kwanza,Solstice,etc.)there is serious doubt that one single infraction, one single day of "cheating" is going to load extra pounds on you. Where we'll run into trouble is if we let that one day convince us that we blew it, that it's all over but the shoutin' instead of pullin ourself up by the bootstraps (my grandmother used to say that and I STILL don't know just what bootstraps are)and getting back on target ya know. I'm not planning on "cheating" but I'm gonna try like "H" to not beat myself up if I do!!
Catrina, you've got a good attitude so I bet you'll do just fine this season. I'm not quite as confident as you appear to be, I've ordered that PinkPatch supplement in hopes it might give me a bit of a brace to get me through....I figure where right now there's the free trial offer it's the best time to try it out ya know, if it doesn't do much, I'm not out anything. I want to enjoy the holidays and not be stressing over every bite i put into my mouth so if maybe my appetite is down a bit, I can do that and be satisfied with taking just a taste of very favorite things instead of making a pig of myself.
Hey it's Shay!
I love it!!! I've never decided if I turn into a "Grinch" or into a "Grump" or maybe a bit of both. I know only that if I end up feeling "deprived" I get somewhat angry, not AT anyone other than myself, my body. I really appreciate what catrina has said here though, if I can keep things into some sort of focus MAYBE I can keep the anger down and if I do that MAYBE I can prevent a binge that doesn't result in ONE day of cheating but can lead to weeks of overstuffing myself.
I've got one of the best diet "buddies" a person could have, my oldest (adult) daughter and I are helping each other get through this season. It's actually fun to have someone to share tips with, to share the minor irritations that come with ANY food restrictions and just to compare notes with or swap recipes with. So #10 is a done deal for me :-) so is #5, I figured out a long time ago that trying to starve before a meal or playing the calorie swap game is a no-win situation, it's a guarantee to set yourself up for failure and who wants to do that eh? Not us!!
That's the last thing I want is to be thought of as a grinchy grouch because i'm trying to lose weight--before i let that happen i'd put my diet on hold til after Christmas anyway just so i didn't spoil things for everyone else, especially for the little kids--that would be soooooo unfair of me. Just the thought makes me shivver!!!
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