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Why do people pack on the pounds over the holidays? Too many opportunities to have fun with
family and friends; too many temptations to overindulge in drink and food; too few
opportunities to exercise. But with a little planning, you can enjoy the holidays and still
stay svelte. Here are some tips for real Yuletide cheer.
Plan Ahead
If you plan to attend an evening party, eat a bit less for breakfast and lunch. It only
takes a minute to plan your dietary attack for the day. Think it through the evening before
and stick to the plan. You’ll feel much better about the upcoming party and more in
control of your dietary destiny.
Don’t Skip Meals
Don’t miss several meals so you go to an event famished. Instead, eat small, low
calorie meals during the day and eat a healthy snack such as a piece of fruit, low calorie
yogurt, or veggies just before the party to dampen your appetite. You won’t be
famished, so it’s easier to avoid the snack tray.
Research shows that skipping meals can increase, not decrease your caloric intake. For
example if you skip lunch it is not uncommon to double or even triple your evening intake
of calories. Not eating for several hours can cause your cravings for food to spiral out
of control.
Don’t Hurry
When you arrive at a party, settle in and spend some time greeting people you know before
you head for the chow. Start with non-alcoholic beverages because alcohol tends to increase
the appetite. Have some low-calorie hors d’oeuvres like celery and carrots. The longer
you put off eating and drinking, especially the high-calorie treats, the less time you have
to overdo it.
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Quick Rules For Holiday Weight Maintenance |
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Taste tempting treats but don’t eat very much. Practice the art of being
satisfied with small portions.
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Limit your alcohol consumption. Alcohol provides only nutritionally empty calories
and undermines discretion and determination to eat wisely.
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Keep your portions small.
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Don’t make more candies, cookies and cakes than you expect to serve. Store
these goodies out of sight.
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Try chewing gum during food preparation. This should keep you from unconsciously over
consuming.
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Give away those leftovers after your party.
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Bring fruits and veggies. If you are bringing food to a party, make it vegetable
or fruit-based so you will always have a wise choice available to you.
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Stay away from the food. At parties, position yourself away from the hors d’oeuvres,
and find interesting people to occupy your attention to keep your mind off eating.
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Differentiate between external and internal cues to eating. External cues are things like
the presence and appearance of food, how much food is available, the company and the
ambiance. Research has shown that more food is consumed when more people eat together.
Instead, focus on the internal cues to eating such as the tastes and textures, the aromas
and your degree of hunger.
And of course eat slowly, savoring every single bite. Allow yourself to linger, relax and
enjoy...avoid the “auto-pilot feeding mode.”
Maintain or Increase Your Exercise Program
Remember that weight maintenance is simple: Calories in must equal calories out. So
don’t put off starting that exercise program until the New Year (unless you also plan
to postpone your holiday eating until then!)
Pressed for time? Even a short 10 to 15-minute home exercise routine is absolutely worth
doing. Or break up your routine and squeeze it in over the entire day. Don’t skip
exercise because you don’t have time.
Encourage family activities to focus around exercise: A walk or football scrimmage is
better than only watching football from the couch.
Dine at Home
At this time of year there are many occasions to dine out. Research shows that when
Americans dine out, they tend to make less healthful choices than when they eat at home.
Fat supplies 20% more calories in restaurant or take-away meals than those prepared at home,
according to a new USDA report. Meals eaten out are usually 20 to 30% lower in fiber,
calcium and iron. In this particular study of women who dined out often (6 to 13 times per
week) compared to those who eat out infrequently, the restaurant-goers consumed 17% more
calories and 30% more fat on a daily basis.
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Cut Calories in Holiday Cooking
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- Instead of basting the turkey with fat, start the bird by rubbing it with a little
canola oil or olive oil, then baste with de-fatted chicken stock, or chicken stock
combined with apple juice.
- Instead of making gravy with hot pan drippings, scrape out the pan, put the drippings
in the freezer for a quick chill, and discard the fat that rises to the top. When you
reheat the gravy, use cake flour or other fine-milled flour to thicken while stirring
constantly with a whisk.
- When a recipe calls for cream or whole milk, substitute nonfat milk or evaporated
skim milk. Nonfat sour cream and nonfat ricotta are good cream substitutes also.
- Instead of adding fat to the stuffing, moisten it with stock. Add herbs, onions and
celery to replace the flavors that were in the fat.
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