'Tis the season to be feasting, again.  Thanksgiving celebrations often are a competition of who can cook the most and best-looking creations.  We begin with the bird that is always stuffed and the endless variety of side dishes.  The typical family Thanksgiving dinner always ends with an infinite number of pies, puddings, and specialty desserts.  He who attempts to maintain his weight as the holiday season officially begins may be in for a hard time!

Christmas boasts a bevy of parties and gatherings.  This usually includes the holiday bash your company hosts at the end of the year; the Christmas Eve day luncheon you and your boss have made tradition; the annual Christmas Eve party you so loathe at the home of your spouse’s boss; the neighborly let’s get-together invites and drop-ins; the once-a-year jamboree with old friends; and so on.  Unfortunately for those trying to lose weight during the holidays, most of the holiday celebrations are food-focused.  It’s simply tradition for cooks to cook, for bakers to bake, and for food lovers to eat.  The holidays are a time of socializing with friends and family and inevitably, food is on the menu for the event.  Even those who normally watch their own weight seem to give way to the excitement of this season, and might just toss their senses to the wind.

 

Fortunately, for those who constantly battle with their waistline, there are several keys to survival.

• Be Realistic - You may want to concentrate on maintaining your weight rather than loosing weight during this festive time.  Weight maintenance is a goal to be recognized.  Keep in mind that almost anything in moderation is not harmful.  Enjoy the season; take a vacation from stressing about weight loss.  Constant worrying about the scale is stressful and stress often leads to overeating.
• Do Some Planning - Have a hearty helping of a healthy snack before the event.  This will reduce your appetite, so you can still enjoy appetizer-size samplings of those special dishes.  Do concentrate on the veggie platter.  Your hunger will be under control and you will not feel famished.  You can contribute to the oohs and ahhs about the food, and not feel guilty.
• Exercise - Statistics tell us most people don’t exercise because they claim not to have the time. In exchange for easing up on your weight loss program, find the time.  Exercise is always one of the main guidelines of any weight loss program, as well as for good health in general.  During this time of year, while your dance card may not have any available slots, make an extra effort to fit one in.  Take a long walk around the mall to do that holiday shopping; visit the gym with a friend you promised to see during the holidays; use the gift certificate you got last Christmas and take that yoga class.  Don’t use ‘getting ready for the holidays’ as an excuse.  The decorations for the tree will not hide, the lights will still work, and the packages will patiently await their wrappings.  You will have more energy to perform these tasks, look better while you’re doing them, and feel good about yourself as well.
• Alcohol in Moderation - Are you a beer drinker?  Try switching from your regular brand to one of the new, low calorie types. The average cocktail mix contains 250 calories per serving, others have 866 calories per serving, and some have 66 calories per serving.  Become aware of the calorie-per-serving tiny print on the mixers.
• Diet Advice Straight From The Web - If you have been procrastinating researching these sites, because ‘you don’t want to see it in print’, this is the ideal time to start.  eDiets offers five succulent holiday desserts, tweaked just a bit to incorporate sensible substitutions and creativity.  Diet offers several recipes for Christmas cookies and exposes an infinite number of well-kept secrets for reducing the overall calorie count in preparing traditional holiday dishes.  When it comes to getting into the mindset of cautiously eating your way through the holidays, there is no better site than WeightWatchers.  They provide support and coaching through the use of meetings, coaching, and links to Internet sites containing weight maintenance guidelines.  They offer a virtual hotline of weight management resources.

Remember – moderation, exercise, and planning are key factors in losing weight.   Enjoy a win-win happy holiday season!