Holiday Eating

Merry Christmas Eve! Are you ready for Christmas? How about New Years? I know I sure am! We are all eager to get together with our loved ones and celebrate. And what better way to celebrate than by joining together in a great feast? If your families are anything like mine, you will probably have at least three Christmases and one New Year's Eve party. When you think about it, that is a lot of food; and let's be honest, we all like to splurge a little on the holidays. Unfortunately, this is an enormous amount of calories added into our diet and, if not properly tracked, could lead to extra pounds. But it's so hard to limit ourselves and still try to stay healthy through this time of the year. Well, I'm here to tell you it is not impossible to prevent the weight gain. We can still enjoy our holiday meals without having to give up on our goals. Listed below are a few ways to stay healthy during these next few weeks.

1. Make realistic, short-term goals.  Don't make it your goal to lose 5lbs before January. That is incredibly unrealistic and will make you feel bad about yourself in the long run. Instead of trying to lose weight, why not make it your goal simply to maintain your current weight? That way you could continue with your weight loss when the holidays are finished.

2. Weigh your options at meal times. Look at all of the food before you decide what you want. Choose the foods that are your favorites, rather than getting everything you like. That way you don't overload your plate. Also try to fit in at least a few fruits and vegetables as substitutes for high-calorie foods.

3. Stay Hydrated! Drink water! I cannot stress this enough. As some of you may already know, drinking water makes you feel full a lot faster. By drinking a glass of water before your meal, you won't be quite as hungry and will therefore eat less

4. Eat Slowly. Try to put your fork or spoon down between bites and chew your food as much as possible. Try to stay involved in table conversation during meal time. These small breaks between bites will allow you to know when you are actually full. If you eat too quickly, you might not feel full immediately, and therefore overeat. When you eat slowly, you will know exactly when you are full, and you will not eat as much food.

5. Think twice about getting seconds. Try to wait a while for that second serving. It might take you a few minutes to feel full. It might also be a good idea to finish up another glass of water to try to reach your stomach's maximum capacity before you over-stuff it.

6. Keep busy. Whether it's engaging in conversation, joining in a card game, or even watching a movie, it's a good idea to stay involved. Joining in on other activities will help keep your mind off of food, so you'll be less tempted to snack on those Christmas goodies.

I hope you find these few tips to be useful. I'd really appreciate the feedback! In addition to these tips, I've included a few links to some other helpful websites with articles about holiday eating. I used them as references in the past and found them to be helpful. Also, before I forget, I'd like to wish everyone a happy holiday, and a wonderful New Year! Good luck with the food, and remember to enjoy yourself.

Happy Holidays!
Danielle ♥

WebMD: Healthy Holiday Eating
Sutter Health: Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating