For many of us the holiday season is both stressful and enjoyable. Stressful from ensuring the gifts get bought and wrapped in time, to getting those big meals cooked and on the table. Enjoyable because it’s a festive time with pretty lights, gift giving, office celebrations, and gatherings with friends and family.
Underneath the festive nature of the holiday season lurks the overindulgence of food and disruptions to our time to exercise. So, how can you manage your way around the food at the parties, at the holiday dinner table, and the home baked goodies in the office, so you don’t find yourself a few pounds heavier in the New Year? Here are some tips to help you still enjoy the holidays without the guilt of weight gain.
Rather than trying to adhere to all the suggestions below, pick the 1 or 2 you can be most successful with and stick to those 80-90% of the time.
- Plan ahead for the holiday parties. There are several things that can help you navigate the food temptations at parties.
- Don’t arrive hungry. This will most likely cause you to eat more and choose foods you normally wouldn’t. Instead, eat a light protein-based snack before the party.
- If it’s a potluck party, bring a healthy dish. This way if the other dishes are high in fat and calories, you and the other guests have an alternative.
- First, fill your plate with vegetables and lean meat. Leave off the desert. After you’ve finished your plate, wait 10-15 minutes before heading for the desert. This will give you time to feel satiated, so when you reach for that desert you’ll be more likely to choose the one you most want.
- If you are the host, send guests home with to-go containers of the leftovers. If you are a guest, either take one serving of what you really want, or politely use the excuse you have too much at home and it would go to waste if you took it.
2. Enjoy your holiday food favorites without the guilt. At the holiday dinner table, what can you skip all together in order to enjoy one of those foods that are cooked special for the holiday? For example, can you skip the bread, mashed potatoes, etc., that you can get any day of the year in favor of indulging in the candied sweet potatoes?
3. Keep holiday treats and snacks out of sight. Out of sight out of mind as they say. To avoid mindlessly eating high calorie treats, put them in opaque containers on a higher shelf, or if they can be, freeze them in individual servings.
4. Stay active. This is a busy time of the year which can easily derail any exercise routine. Try working out first thing in the morning to avoid schedule conflicts later in the day. If all you can spare is 10-15 minutes, you can get a quick body weight workout at home (i.e., squats, plank, push-ups, triceps dips), or take a brisk walk (or jog) in the cooler winter air.
Lastly, be realistic. Holidays are centered around food, family and fun. One day of splurging won’t break your fitness and nutrition efforts. Just be careful one day doesn’t turn into many days or weeks. Also, avoid dieting during the holidays. It is one of the most difficult times of the year to lose any weight or weight gain with all the temptations facing you. Focus on maintaining your weight rather than losing it with the tips provided above.