With Halloween came the official kick off of the holiday season. It’s also the kick off of holiday eating! Admit it…you’re still sneaking pieces of Halloween candy from your kids stash. Now is the time to figure out how you’re going to handle all of the holiday food and drinks. Here are my top 5 things you must do this holiday season to avoid the holiday weight gain.
- Don’t stop exercising. Exercise will help you burn off the extra calories you are eating and drinking. You can even add some extra exercise to get ahead of the game. Even if you have to decrease the frequency of your exercise due to holiday obligations, DON’T stop.
- Control your portions. You know you’ll be eating Halloween candy, Thanksgiving dinner, leftovers, Christmas cookies, etc., so pay attention to your portions. If you still find yourself overwhelmed with Halloween candy, try some local dentists. They will often “buy” it back from your kids for stickers or pencils. At Thanksgiving, load up on vegetables and lean turkey and take smaller portions of mashed potatoes and biscuits. Make all your favorite Christmas cookies and then give them away to friends and family. Keep just a few of your favorites. Remember, you can enjoy all of your favorite holiday foods in MODERATION.
- Find some lower calorie/lower fat recipes. If you make pumpkin pie every year for Thanksgiving, find a lower calorie/fat version. Try using some splenda or light butter instead of regular butter. Check with friends or even on the internet for some great low calorie/low fat dishes for your holiday meals. If you have a facebook page, just put out the call for low calorie/low fat holiday recipes and you will be surprised who responds. You can also check recipe websites for some ideas.
- Monitor your drinks. Many people avoid sodas, sugary juices, chocolate milk etc. during most of the year but then will drink just about anything during the holidays. Remember, drinks can add a lot of calories and even fat to your diet. Avoid things like eggnog and drinks mixed with sodas and juices. You can make your own low fat eggnog or choose drinks like a wine spritzer or a small glass of champagne mixed with diet sprite. Again, you can try the internet for some great low calorie, festive drink ideas.
- Get everyone involved. Nobody really wants to gain weight during the holiday season, it just happens. Start getting friends and family involved in your plan. Let them know that you are looking for healthy recipes. Tell them to bring low calorie items to your parties. Ask them to find tasty low calorie drinks to share. Ask them to exercise with you. Even if someone never exercised before, they can start a walking program with you. Go to a gym or a local mall. Gyms have great deals this time of year.
Start planning today to avoid the holiday weight gain. Think about it before you eat another piece of Halloween candy. Come January, you’ll be glad you did.
- Jennifer
Labels: Holiday Eating, holiday ideas, Jennifer
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I do them all. I just follow what I do all year roud.... works for me!