Healthier Eating Around the Holidays

As the weather cools, it signifies that holiday time is here, and thus, scrumptious meals are planned and family and friends are gathered to celebrate. For many people, the promise of holiday weight gain hangs in the air, and around the waist.

The holiday season is known almost as much for the abundance of food as the origins of the celebrations themselves. It is important to focus on why we are gathered together, the celebration itself, not just the food. Holiday food is not meant to be feared or loathed, but enjoyed – within reason. This year, a simple choice could make the difference in a successful diet and another size up in jeans.

Here are some guidelines to help in weight maintenance during the holidays:

Practice Portion Control
Practicing portion control is a must - it’s not about avoiding favorite foods, but realizing that to consume them is a personal choice. Portion control doesn’t restrict the types of food a person eats, but the amount consumed. Remember a portion of almost all food is ½ cup. For protein, like a portion of turkey, is three ounces (deck of cards size). Instead of avoiding a certain food or dessert completely, have one piece and enjoy it. Say ‘I can,’ but just have a smaller portion, because it is one day, and one day isn’t what makes one overweight; rather, it is the everyday of eating that way.

Follow an 80/20 rule at dinner
Yes, you can have your holiday favorites, if you limit the portion sizes. Load up your plate with 80 percent fresh or steamed vegetables and fruits and 20 percent with everything else.

Use Healthier Alternatives in Favorite Holiday Foods
“Skinnying down” meals by making small changes results in a healthier meal. Use fat-free milk, fat-free cream cheese, and fat-free Cool Whip. Make your own graham cracker crust where you could use light butter, and use Splenda instead of sugar. Other substitutes include: using egg whites instead of the whole egg; applesauce or prune puree as a butter, margarine, or cooking oil substitute; evaporated skimmed milk rather than whole milk; yogurt instead of cream, sour cream and mayonnaise; herbs and spices instead of salts and fats; or using orange juice and cinnamon in sweet potatoes instead of marshmallows and brown sugar. Any way you can “skinny it down” and then portion it out makes a difference.

Make healthy food choices (yes, this includes desserts as well)
Holiday desserts are so tempting and sinfully delicious, but instead of eating a big wedge of pie, cut the wedge in half or quarters and eat less. Leave the whipped cream or ice cream off the pie. Look for a dessert with the least amount of fat and sugar and eat just a small amount. Dressings, sauces and side dishes are other good areas to cut calories.

Watch your alcohol intake
Champagne, wine, beer, brandy, or spiked punch are all very high in calories and have little nutritional value. After a drink or two your appetite will increase and your ability and willpower to make healthy food choices will decrease. If you are serious about eating healthy for the holidays leave the alcohol alone.

Listen to your body
At a holiday dinner you sit at the table longer socializing making it easier to continue eating long after you are full. When you are full, leave the table. In fact, make it a practice to leave the table when you are 80% satiated. Listen to your body saying you have eaten enough and then get up from the table. The longer you sit there in front of all that tempting food the more you will eat. When you are already full, simply stop eating.

Take a Walk / Be Active
Make it a practice to take a walk with others after dinner. Take a walk around the block. Not only is it great to socialize, it will also help your digestion and keep you away from the dessert tray.

Exercise might be far from the minds of some during the holidays, but it can stave off the midday grogginess and work off some of the calories that have piled up. Walk, jog or work out first thing in the morning. It will help to speed up your metabolism and burn more calories throughout the day.

Avoid the holiday splurge-and-starve cycle
Better to break the cycle right away by starting the next morning with a quick walk and light, nutritious breakfast, and fill up with a snack and a glass of water before you sit down to the next tempting meal.
Stay ahead of the game.

Additional holiday survival tips:

• Don't skip meals or starve yourself beforehand. It will slow down your metabolism, and you'll be hungrier and likely to eat more, meaning more will end up being stored as body fat.

• Keep your carbohydrate and fat intake lower for all your meals before and after the main feast.

• Focus on eating lean proteins and veggies to help keep your metabolism up.

• Eat your veggies first -- and lots of them. They will help to fill you up and keep you from eating less of the stuff you shouldn't eat.

• Keep your carbohydrate and fat intake lower for all your meals before and after the main feast.

Attitude and commitment are so important to eating healthy any time of year, most especially now. This holiday season, try to get ahead on that one New Year’s resolution and tackle the biggest challenge first. Attempt portion control by just having one piece of pie, “skinny down” favorites by using fat-free substitutes, and instead of taking a nap, talk a walk. There is no need to deny yourself all ‘treats’ this time of year, but if you are mindful of what you are eating and practicing moderation, then you can be successful in your weight management goals – and know that you are sticking with your healthy habits.