It happens every year. You know what I'm talking about. Those few extra holiday pounds . . . followed by the New Year's Resolution to lose them . . . followed by the denunciation of all New Year's Resolutions . . . followed by the "Bikini shape-up" in the Spring. . . followed by the confession that you always hated exercising anyway . . . followed by the tent dresses on the beach (or the, ah, so what, I'll let it all hang out! declaration) . . . eventually followed by the last turn of the calendar and the realization that you never did lose those fruitcake pounds afterall.
Well, if you'd like to do it differently this year, here are a few tips on how to indulge during the holidays without the Ghost of Christmas past haunting you all year long.
1. Have your cake and eat it, too! on the days of celebration. Just because you have all the fixings on the big day, doesn't mean you need to throw in the towel for two solid weeks! Stick to a regular diet and good choices on the days inbetween.
2. Make it easy for yourself to make those good choices by not having a lot of those tempting goodies hanging around endlessly. Buy (or make) a reasonable quantity that will get consumed on the event days. King-sized might seem like the better deal, but it's not when you pay for it every day for the next few months!
3. Take a lesson from the kids - get out there and play to burn off the extra calories and build good relationships all at the same time! Now I'm not talking just video games. Build a snowman, have a snowball fight, go to the playground. Make a fort. Go sledding, skiing and skating! If you live in an area without snow . . . you have even more options, and fewer excuses! Also try as much as possible to keep up with your regular exercise program to offset the eating. Throwing in the towel all 'round is asking for double trouble!
4. Eat before you go. While this seems a little contradictory, when you're starving, you'll nearly eat the table cloth before you know when to stop. Your mind tells you that because you waited all day, you're allowed to eat everything in sight. The problem is that you'll easily consume enough calories for the next two days. All those holiday treats are packed full of fat and sugar. Eat balanced meals high in fibre and veggies prior to the big event, and you'll set yourself up for better choices when you're there.
5. Educate yourself. Have you ever been brave enough to read the "nutritional information" at your favorite haunt?? I picked up a Starbuck's pamphlet the other day and was shocked to find out that several of the holiday lattes and blended drinks can have up to 500 calories each, without the whipped cream! Even with non-fat milk, the lattes are still 200 calories each for a Grande. That's 10-25% of your whole day's allotment. Makes you think twice, huh? Also learn what a real "serving size" of your favorite recipes is, and read how many calories are in one of those. I guarantee it's probably half the size of what you think it is. And lastly on this point, just because it's "salad" doesn't mean it is calorie-free. Find how many calories are in that dressing!
6. Quit cutting those pieces so big! A few years ago I started cutting a 9x9 pan of squares into at least 25 pieces. And then sometimes I cut those 25 squares into 50 triangles! When you have a plate of various goodies, you only need a small taste of each one to get your fill.
7. Choose your Poison - watch what you drink. Punch, eggnog, specialty coffees (as already discussed) . . . and alcohol! . . . are all loaded with calories. Personally, I'd rather eat my calories than drink them.
I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are many other ways to trim hidden calories and avoid extra temptation. Feel free to share your tips and tricks!
Merry Christmas!
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