How to Avoid Gaining Weight During the Holidays

The holidays are a time for shopping, gift-giving and going to parties or family dinners. With all of the festivities come the delicious food and drinks. It is tempting to overindulge and, as a result, put on a few extra pounds. Avoid listing "lose weight" as a New Year's resolution by following these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Eat or drink something before going to that holiday party. You can munch on some fruit or a protein bar or drink plenty of water so that you aren't starving when you arrive at the party. You are most likely to overeat if you are hungry.
2. Plan your menu ahead of time if your goal is to consume under 2,000 calories for the day. This may mean choosing only one starch-based food, such as mashed potatoes with gravy, and giving up on the stuffing and macaroni and cheese. Eat mostly vegetables, whole grains and baked or grilled poultry and seafood.
3. Control your food portions. Think "kid-sized" as opposed to "super-sized." Use smaller appetizer or salad plates to make it easier to limit your portions.
4. Focus more on socializing when at a party. Talking to friends or family will keep you from grazing. Staying away from the kitchen or the buffet table also helps.
5. Be active, even though it is easy to fall off your exercise routine when holiday errands leave you exhausted. Stick to your normal schedule to keep your weight down. If necessary, add an extra 10 to 20 minutes to your cardio or treadmill workout. Forget about the elevator or escalator; instead walk a few times around the mall while shopping.

Tips & Warnings

• Prepare recipes with healthier alternatives if you are doing the cooking. Use broth instead of butter for the mashed potatoes, low-fat cheese for the macaroni and artificial sweetener for desserts. Offer some fruit-based desserts, such as baked apples or strawberries dipped in chocolate.
• You can still treat yourself to cake, cookies or some other decadent dish. The key is to have only one small serving of that treat.
• Never skip meals in an attempt to "save" calories. This will slow down your metabolism, and any food you consume will be stored as fat, causing you to gain weight.
• Even if you use a small plate, don't eat everything on your plate just because it's there. Eat until you are satisfied, not until you are full and uncomfortable.