Helpful tips on “Having a Holiday Game Plan” and “How to Avoid Those Extra Holiday Pounds”

Have a Holiday Game Plan

The holiday season is filled with family, friends, and fun and for many people non-stop noshing and sports-channel surfing.  One too many of mom’s tasty temptations combined with lack of exercise can equate to a 5-10 pound weight gain during the holidays.  Having a holiday game plan can help you through this tough time of year.   A typical holiday meal can contain as many as 2000 calories and 58% of those calories are from fat.  You can actually save over 1,000 calories and 120 grams of fat by revising your holiday menu.  Here are a few tips to keep your waistline from expanding over the next few months. 

• Choose skinless white meat over dark meat with the skin.
• Use butter flavored Pam and chicken broth for basting the turkey instead of butter.
• Beware of most gravies and juices (that is where the fat hides).
• Fill up on healthy side dishes such as broccoli, winter squash and sweet potatoes.
• Substitute fat-free butters in place of margarine in stuffing, potatoes, veggies and gravies.
• Cook stuffing in a dish verses in the turkey to prevent excess fat absorption.
• Use fat-free piecrusts or make graham cracker crusts with low fat graham crackers and fat free butter.
• Use Egg Beaters or 2 egg whites for one egg.
• Watch out for the alcohol:  it can add an amazing 300-700 calories per meal.
• Select light beer and dry wines over sweet mixed drinks.
• Don’t skip breakfast in preparation for a big lunch or dinner; this will lead to ravenous hunger and extreme overeating.
• Keep healthy snacks available such as air-popped popcorn, whole-wheat crackers and low fat cheese, ready-to-eat vegetables, low fat dips, homemade cereal and nut mixes, and pretzels.
• Plan extra exercise around big meals.  Get the family together for a game of touch football or a walk or try activities that burn calories like museum tours and shopping.
• Last but not least, if you do go overboard don’t starve yourself the next day.  Get right back on track and exercise a little more.

How to Avoid Those Extra Holiday Pounds

Research has shown that the average person gains nearly seven pounds between Halloween and New Year’s Day.  Here are some tactics to keep you from being a statistic!

• Don’t tell yourself, “It’s okay, it’s the holidays.” That opens the door to splurging all the way through.
• Don’t go into a party or holiday meal starving. Eat a snack before you go and make sure it contains some protein: half a turkey sandwich; yogurt and a piece of fruit; or a can of water-packed tuna.
• At a buffet, fill up on healthier foods such as turkey, lean cuts of beef vegetables and fruit.  And only go through the buffet line once!
• Ask the host or hostess if you can bring a dish or dessert. Then, bring one that is healthy.
• Instead of eating everything at a holiday dinner, choose the foods that are special to that holiday. For instance, eat some dressing, but pass on the mashed potatoes and rolls, which you can have anytime of year.
• Give it away!  After company leaves, give away leftover food to neighbors, doormen or delivery people, or take it to work the next day.
• Don’t be overly concerned about losing weight during the holidays; if you can maintain, you will be ahead of the game.
• Plan some healthy family activities, such as a game of touch football, ice-staking or an evening walk.
• At parties, mingle and converse, rather than sticking by the food table.
• Wait for 20 minutes after a meal before deciding to eat dessert.
• Don’t neglect your regular healthy routines, such as going to the gym.