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It's that time of year again! Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching…think about all the warm fuzzy feelings you get with family and friends! Think about all that delicious food! This can be a particularly hard time of the year if you are either trying to lose weight or you are trying to maintain your weight loss. You have the people around you that you love, which can often make us happy and want to eat more. Often, the holidays are a difficult time for us emotionally, which may also trigger us to eat more.
Here are 10 tips to help you to maintain your weight over the holidays:
- Make sure you have breakfast. We know that skipping breakfast can keep metabolism down. Often, when we don't eat breakfast, we get hungry and cranky and it may be harder not to pig out. Try a high fiber cereal in the morning with low fat milk.
- Tweak Holiday Recipes. Try to reduce the amount of butter and oil in your favorite recipes. Use heart healthy spreads in place of butter. Use low fat milk when possible. Use fat-free sour cream in place of regular sour cream.
- PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. If you are having a big family get together, designate one person to plan the menu. This can keep everyone from feeling too overwhelmed with too much food to prepare. Planning a menu can also help ensure that there is a variety of different recipes.
- Practice saying "No Thank You". Many people are afraid to tell people that they don't want a food because they don't want to hurt the person's feelings. Try saying: "Oh my gosh, I am so stuffed, maybe I'll try it later." Also, it is OK to not attend every holiday party that you are invited! Pick your top 3 holiday parties you plan to attend.
- Think Before You Eat! Take some time to assess how you are feeling…Sounds simple, but if you are full...STOP eating.
- Think About Other Holiday Activities…activities that do not revolve around food. If you or anyone in your family has a "Cookie Exchange Party" - think about doing an ornament exchange party or an ornament making party.
Are you used to giving cookies and candy as holiday treats? Plan to give "Healthy Gifts" to friends, neighbors and co-workers. This may include: healthy cookbooks, ornaments, healthy homemade salad dressing, etc.
- Track Alcohol and other high calorie drinks. Regular Eggnog has 180 calories per ˝ cup, add one shot of 80 proof alcohol and you get 280 calories! Plus, alcohol can weaken our will power- often leading us to eat more. Alternative: Try Sparkling water with a splash of lime or fruit juice.
- MOVE More: Even if you are too busy for your regular routine- do SOMETHING! On Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day make a new tradition of taking a morning walk and an after dinner walk.
- Enjoy the Indulgences. The last thing you want to do is feel guilty about indulging in your favorite holiday food. Pick 2-3 favorite items and tell yourself that you will enjoy them! Slowly savor every bite!
- Look for Support! Here are two online resources that can help you maintain your weight over the holidays:
www.eatingwell.com (healthy recipes)
www.sparkpeople.com (support and recipes)
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