Tis the Season to be Jolly...how to keep our selves in check and not gain weight!

It's November 1st, Halloween has come and gone and I'd say the Holiday season has just about begun.  Thanksgiving is 3+ weeks away and the parties, excessive eating and drinking will soon be upon us.  Have you ever struggled in the past with putting on weight during the Holidays?  If you have, you're not alone.  The average person gains around 2 to 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It's that time of year when extra calories lurk around every corner - frosted cookies at the office, eggnog at your neighbor's party, chocolate gelt at Hanukkah or candy canes in your stocking.  All these extras add up, and if your like most Americans, you'll put weight on during this time.  So what's the harm in a little Holiday weight gain, especially if it's just 2 to 5 pounds?  According to the researchers at the National Institute of Health, most Americans never lose the weight they gain during the winter holidays.  The pounds add up year after year, making holiday weight gain an important factor in adult obesity.

There's no doubt it's a time to celebrate, enjoy family, good food, drink and be merry but it MUST be done in moderation.  Portion control is key!  It's ok to treat yourself,  just do your best to not go overboard and take on the attitude of "oh I eat terrible so therefore I'm going to continue to eat terrible for weeks", hence 5 pounds just like that!  It goes on that quickly and it takes twice the amount of time if not more to take it off.  And the older we get the harder it becomes to take that weight off.

Every year after New Years we make our resolutions and the most popular one is to lose weight.  Not everyone actually sees this through but a good amount of us do.  We spend the whole year working on ourselves, maybe losing some weight, gaining some muscle and most importantly getting our nutrition down and then the holidays come around and we fall off the wagon BIG time.  Only to come back on January 1st and make that same resolution, sound familiar??  Let's stop that vicious cycle!

Here's some great tips to help you during the Holiday season:

1. Never Arrive Hungry - Planning ahead can help you maintain discipline in the face of temptation.  Try not to go to a party when your starving.  Have a nutritious snack beforehand.  Also drink some water to fill you up before filling up your plate.
2. Divert Your Attention - There's more to a party than just the food.  Enjoy your friends, the music and socializing.  Take your mind off the food and focus on conversation and having a good time with family and friends.
3. Pace Yourself - Try not to eat everything in the first 1/2 hour of the party.  Eating quickly makes you chew faster.  Chewing more slowly will fill you up with less food.  Pace yourself and put your fork down between bites, that puts you in control.
4. Count Your Appetizers - When you're eating appetizers it's easy to loose count of how many you've eaten.  Hold onto your toothpicks and count them up...stick to the number you set for yourself before the party.
5. Outsmart The Buffet - When dinner is served buffet style, choose the smallest plate available and don't stack your food.  Make it one story high.  Go for the simplest foods on the buffet table.  Fresh fruits, vegetables and shrimp cocktail are all good choices.  Be careful of sauces and dips.
6. Limit Your Alcohol - Do your best to avoid drinking a lot at these parties.  Not only is it calories and sugars but it's also a loss of control.  The more you drink the more you'll eat because you're just not as aware.  If you feel out of place without a drink in your hand, carry one with water or club soda.
7. Be Choosy About Sweets - I'm so selective when it comes to dessert.  If I'm going to indulge it has to be worth it.  My personal rule is if it's going to have calories it has to be chocolate!  Try not to take one bite of several desserts, most people can't just eat one bite of anything.  I know I can't.  If this is you, you're better off taking a small portion of one dessert.
8. Bring Your Own Treats -  I do this a lot!  Bringing your own dessert that you really enjoy will make the more fattening sweets less tempting.  And if you love fruit then bring fruit.  It doesn't have to be chocolate per se.
9. Limit Tastes While Cooking - If you're one that does a lot of cooking over the holidays, limit all the tasting.  That will add up before you know it.  Instead of tasting mindlessly every few minutes, try to take two small bites pre and post seasoning.
10. Walk it off - Take a walk afterwards with the family, a friend or significant other.  Just get moving, whether it's walking, going to the gym or working out at home.  Don't let your exercise routine fall apart during the Holiday season, keep that going.  There's something about physical activity that keeps us in control of our eating.

Most importantly enjoy the Season, be safe and remind yourself portion control is the key to success!  Do something positive and proactive so you don't have to get mad about it!!

Peace out.

Jenz