How To Survive The Holiday Season Without Gaining Weight

The holiday season is upon us and along with it comes celebratory foods. Cookies suddenly appear in the break room at work and parties with ample foods become your routine. Most Americans will gain two to eight pounds during the holiday season. While that may not seem like much, studies also show that Americans don't lose the extra weight they gain over the holidays.

It makes sense that your goal should be to gain as little extra weight as possible during the holidays, you could even gain no extra weight with some simple tips and habits. By following these few simple ideas, you can ring in the new year in your skinny jeans.

Never Arrive At A Party Hungry

Parties, whether at a home or in a restaurant, will have plenty of foods for you to choose from. Most of these party foods are quite yummy but loaded with fat and calories. A good idea is to have a healthy snack at home before you arrive. Soups are a great low-calorie option, not only will they fill you up but they can be healthy as well. If you find yourself in a time crunch, drink plenty of water. Quite often we confuse hunger with thirst. Carry a refillable water bottle with you during the holiday season. As an added bonus, you may enjoy this habit and start drinking more water past the holidays.

Re-Focus Your Focus

From television advertisements to magazine features, it's clear that the focus of the holidays is food. While you certainly don't need to give up baking your favorite holiday cookies for your family, you can shift your focus in other areas. When you go to a party, focus on the guests. Seek out friends and family you have not seen in awhile and catch up on their lives. Jump in and dance when the music plays. Play card games or board games. When you think about a party, don't think about the food that might be served there. Instead, think about the activities you will enjoy at the party. By not focusing on food, you will end up eating less.

Watch What You Drink

It's easy to imbibe in alcoholic drinks during the holidays. It's celebration time, and everyone at the party is carrying a cocktail. Not only does alcohol have a large amount of calories, but it can also slow your metabolism down. Drinking a few cocktails will also lower your self-control; many often eat more when drinking. Try to limit yourself to a few adult beverages a week. If you feel self-conscious not drinking at a party, make yourself a fun non-alcoholic drink. You could mix fruit juice with spritzer or soda. This will give you something to carry in your hand as you mingle. You also will avoid a hangover the next day and won't miss your morning workout.

Conquer The Buffet Line

Most parties will offer dinner in the form of a buffet line. This can be good news if you are watching your waistline. Grab the smallest plate available and limit yourself to one trip to the buffet. This will force you to choose your food items carefully. Fresh vegetables, salad, shrimp cocktail and lean cuts of meats are all good low-calorie choices. Allow yourself one indulgent food item and go light handed with sauces. Chew slowly and take your time eating, enjoy the dinner conversation around you.

Bring Something To The Table

Consider bringing your own healthy treat to contribute at parties. A fresh cut fruit tray or fresh cut veggies will be a welcomed changed. Believe it or not, many of your co-workers may be tired of eating cookies and will love something fresh. If you want to bring something to a house party, check with the hostess first. More than likely the hostess will welcome a contribution to her buffet table, but it would be rude not to ask first. This will help if you feel the need to nibble on something at the party and want a healthy option.

Put Down The Spoon

One area that we all overlook is cooking at home. While cooking a holiday dish or baking holiday treats, we often taste the batch as we prepare it. A few or more tastes can add the calories up quickly. Put down the spoon and use a fork to taste your creations, this will limit the amount you eat. Realistically, you only need to check your batch a couple of times. Lay out two to three forks beforehand to help remind you while you cook. When you use a fork, put it in the sink.

Dr. Donna Sergi is a leading Brooklyn Chiropractor and Practitioner of Nutrition Response Testing. Learn more by visiting her website at: http://www.healthieruny.com