Avoiding The Holiday Weight Gain

It's that time again.  The time of year where we all begin to get festive and look forward to the days of celebrating.  Now that Thanksgiving is over, the momentum of this really starts to take off.  And during those times, we all seem to do the same thing...eat too much.  As a result, one would seem to gain weight.  Since this is quite common for far too many, I'd like to offer an alternative to setting yourself up for Holiday Weight Gain.  The following are 10 Ways to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain:

1) Plan ahead to have a healthy meal before going to any of these holiday parties.  If your stomach is full before you go, you'll eat less, if at all.

2) Bring a vegetable platter to any party you are invited to, and then make sure you eat more of that vs. any other foods/snacks being offered.

3) Have a big lunch knowing you are going to the party that evening, and this will contribute to feeling full and prompt you to eat far less. 

4) Drink a large glass of water when you first get to the party, or just before beginning to eat.  This too will contribute to the feeling of being full and result in less eating.

5) Bring something non-alcoholic to drink and stick to that during the party.  Alcohol is the adult form of sugar and sets off the need to consume more of this.  Plain juice or seltzer or the combination is better than the alcohol, especially if you need to drive home after. 

6) Limit yourself to one small plate of food and avoid the holiday desert tray of cookies or other tasty sweets.  This is most people’s downfall, eating holiday cookies, etc.  Show some discipline, and simply don't eat them.

7) Begin or increase your exercise program to include more aerobic type activities consisting of walking, cycling, the elliptical or swimming.  These activities will help you burn the extra food you've eaten, especially if you do this regularly.

8) Stay home.  There is nothing that says you have to go to every party your invited to.  This may seem rude or ungrateful, but simply offer that you've been to too many parties already or you limit yourself to one party a week, and you've met your quota for that time period.

9) If you must go to the party, limit yourself to being there for an hour, and don't eat the whole time while you are there.  Go with someone else and have the agreement you won't eat and will leave after a certain time period.

10) Find someone new and interesting to talk to, and don't eat at all.

If you apply just one of these each time you are invited to attend a holiday party, I can assure you that you will not put on the holiday pounds.  Now that would really be a reason to celebrate. 

If you do have concerns about the potential excess weight, and would like to discuss that, my office is always available for Nutritional Consults.  Also, the office makes available my 4 CD Audio Program entitled, "The Real Deal: Strategies to Restore Your Health And Wellness Through Understanding Nutrition and Exercise."  It is packed with over four hours of information to help you get a handle on your weight management issues.  With the holiday season upon us, this is an ideal time to purchase this audio program for yourself or a loved one.  Normally $90.00, through December 25th I will make it available to you for $75.00.  That's the same cost as a half hour consultation, yet you get over 4 hours of helpful information so you can finally take control of your weight once and for all.