The holiday season is upon us, which means heaps of brownies at the office, gravy at Grandma's and piles of buttery mashed potatoes.
And if you're like me, you give yourself a "holiday immunity" from your normal diet & say, "These calories don't really count, 'cause it's Thanksgiving!" But of course, they do count.
Sadly.
If you're not that fond of your "winter weight" every year, here are 6 solid tips that will get you through this treacherous holiday season WITHOUT the extra holiday poundage: 1.
Avoid drinking calories! Soft drinks provide 33% of all added calories in American diets.
That's ONE THIRD, people.
Not to mention high-calorie cocktails...
2.
The "One-a-day" Rule.
Allow yourself ONE moderate serving of dessert per day.
This is tricky, since desserts are everywhere during the holiday season, but you can do it! 3.
The "Five-a-day" Rule.
Shoot for 5 servings of fruits & vegetables per day.
Loading up on the healthy stuff is not only good for you, it leaves less room for pastries & pies! 4.
Get off your butt! Falling into a post-feast coma allows all those calories you just ate to be packed on to your hips & thighs.
Try taking a stroll with the family, a little touch football or maybe even break out the Wii! 5.
Leave it at the store! Eating junk food is much less likely if you don't buy it in the first place.
Resist the urge in the store, and you don't have to resist it at home.
If it's in the cupboard, you'll eat it! 6.
Satisfied, not Stuffed.
What you eat is important, but so is knowing when to stop.
During a meal, notice when your hunger is satisfied, then stop eating.
Eating until you can barely walk is a sure way to pack on the holiday pounds.
As you may have noticed, maintaining your weight is pretty easy, even if you weigh more than you'd like to.
Losing weight is much harder.
By following these 6 simple tips, you can enjoy the food & friendship of the holiday season without putting on those hard-to-lose pounds.
Here's wishing you a glorious holiday season, and no holiday pounds!