DON’T BE A STATISTIC

“The Average Person Gains 5 Pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day”

If the average person gains up to 5 lb between the holidays, that adds up to an excess of 17,500 calories in 6 weeks!!!  I bet this number seems outrageous, but it can add up very easily and fast, especially over the holidays.  Don’t be a statistic this year; you can make it through without losing your healthy lifestyle.  Holidays are a great time in which we celebrate life, family, and friends, but it also comes with lots of food and lots of temptations!  We must find a balance between the two.

 Many people stress about the holidays, thinking they will completely gain all the weight back that they worked so hard to lose.  CHANGE YOUR MINDSET!  The two biggest mistakes dieters can make:

1. Don’t set yourself up for failure.  Don’t necessarily try to lose weight during the holidays, but try to not gain weight.  If you make yourself miserable and don’t enjoy the holidays you will ultimately give in full force!
2. Don’t ditch your exercise routine.  Most people think since they are already blowing their diet, they might as well skip the exercise too.  SO wrong!  Since you are consuming extra calories, the more reason you should be exercising to burn them off.  Plus it will keep you in an exercise routine and help with the stress of the holidays.  One of the hardest things is to get started again once you’ve stopped, so just don’t stop.

  Here are some easy tips to follow to help you enjoy this wonderful time and still stay on track:

1. Scope out the food table and decide which foods you can’t live without and skip those you can.
2. Choose a balance between high calorie and low calorie options, with smaller portions for high calorie foods.
3. Do not cover your plate completely with food.  When it comes to holiday foods, less is better.
4. Enjoy your favorite holiday treats but take a small portion, eat slowly, and enjoy it.
5. Once you have made your selections, leave the food table and eat in another room or away from the table to avoid grazing.  Enjoy your food by sitting down and savoring your meal.
6. Drop out of the “clean plate club”.  Leave a few bites behind every time you eat.
7. Remember alcohol affects your appetite, so if you are drinking you may end up eating more than you planned.
8. If you do drink, try and stick to lower calorie options such as lite beer or wine instead of eggnog and mixed drinks.  Drink a glass of water between every alcoholic drink, nonalcoholic punch, or eggnog.  This will help to keep you hydrated and by the end of the night you will have consumed fewer liquid calories.
9. If you know you are up for a long night of celebration and eating, plan a morning workout to expend some of those extra calories you will be ingesting.
10. If you are hosting the party, make sure your guest have low calorie options such as fruits, vegetables and lean meats.  If you are a guest, bring a low calorie dish.
11. Lastly, enjoy the celebration!  Pace your eating and spend time visiting with family and friends.  You will eat less and feel good about what you’ve eaten!

Here are examples of some common holiday foods with their calorie content to help you make better choices!:

Happy Holidays!!

By:  Estelle L. Benoit, RD, LDN