Seasons Eatings!

Food constantly surrounds us from Thanksgiving through the start of the new year. No matter what we are celebrating — Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza — there are favorite foods that appear during the holiday season.

For many of us, however, the holidays are also associated with an increase in weight. While people commonly believe that the average weight gain during the holiday season is about five pounds, recent research suggests that actual weight gain is really closer to one pound. Unfortunately, we tend to hang on to that one pound and pick up another one the next holiday season.

So what should we do?

Surviving the Holiday Season - Party Time!                        

We know that parties add to the festive nature of the holiday season and provide us with opportunities to socialize with family, friends, and coworkers. However, these parties and social gatherings can also be a source of significant calories if we are not careful.

Here are 10 ways to control calorie intake for just about any holiday buffet, office party, or cocktail party:

1.  Balance party snacks and meals with your regular meals. Eat smaller amounts with fewer calories during the day so you can enjoy the party — without exceeding your energy intake for the whole day. For those smaller meals, include low-fat protein as well as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains for fiber, which helps keep the stomach feeling full.

2.  Don’t go to a party hungry. Think about the types of foods present at holiday parties — they may not be the most healthful. If you go to a party hungry, you are more likely to overeat.

3.  For office parties, try to get involved in the planning process to help ensure that some healthy foods will be available. Offer to bring a fresh fruit or vegetable tray, baked tortilla chips and salsa, or pretzels. If you are offering to bring a dish that has been modified to lower the fat and calorie content, try the recipe in advance to make sure the taste is acceptable.

4.  If it’s an after-work cocktail party, curb your appetite by snacking on fruit, pretzels, crackers or low-fat yogurt before you go. This helps reduce the temptation to overeat.

5.  For dinner parties, skip dessert or choose fresh fruit if it is available. If you are served a dessert, eat half, or share your dessert with others.

6.  Limit calories by ordering drinks with diet soda or club soda instead of juice and regular sodas. A 12-ounce can of soda is about 150 calories; diet versions have less than 5 calories, and club soda is calorie free.

7.  Consume alcohol in moderation, if at all. This tip has as much to do with common sense and safety as it does nutrition. For example, an 8-ounce glass of nonalcoholic eggnog contains more than 340 calories. Add alcohol to the eggnog and the calories increase to nearly 450. Plus, those calories from alcohol tend to be stored as fat. Remember to avoid driving when you drink, better yet, arrange in advance for a designated driver if you think you might have too much to drink.

8.  Remember, smaller is better. When the food at a party is being served buffet-style, make one trip through the buffet line and take only small amounts of the foods that you really like. If possible, use a salad plate so that your plate looks full (and your eyes won’t feel cheated). Use a cocktail appetizer plate for your hors d’oeuvres rather than a dinner plate to help control portions.

9.  Listen to your stomach and stop eating when you are no longer hungry. Eating until you’re stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey usually results in consuming more calories than you need. Drink a bottle of water after your first round of appetizers.  If you absolutely must eat more, make a deal with yourself to choose only those foods on the fresh fruit and vegetable trays to minimize overeating of the higher calorie foods.

10. Socialize away from the food table. This reduces the temptation to pick and lets you focus on the great conversations you are having with your friends, family, and coworkers.

Surviving the Holiday Season – Shopping

Shopping is a big part of the holiday season for many people. This often means spending more time at the mall or department store — and the food court! Here are three ways to help control your calorie intake when shopping:

1.  Eat before going to the mall. Shopping on an empty stomach may cause you to overeat at your next meal, even add a snack. Make a list of all the things you need to buy and a road map to help you plan your trip. Stick to your plan and keep moving right past the food vendors.

2.  The holiday season is for sharing — this includes food. Split meals and treats from the mall with a friend.

3.  Take a snack with you. Fresh fruit like apples, bananas, small boxes of raisins or small bags of pretzels are handy and transport well in a handbag or backpack. These snacks are healthier (and much cheaper) than the buttery pretzels and cookies often found throughout the malls.

Surviving the Holiday Season - Exercise!

No matter how festive, the holiday season can be a stressful time. Gifts to wrap, parties to attend and host, family and friends to visit can cause stress.

It is not uncommon for individuals to use food as a means of coping with stress. Furthermore, if we eat more calories than we use, we will gain weight. This means that regular physical activity and portion control area must during the holiday season — not just for weight management but also for stress release.

Taking a brisk walk after a meal and walking the aisles of the mall are just two ways to add physical activity to your daily routine.

Have a pet? Remember he or she needs regular physical exercise as well. So if you don’t do it for yourself, do it for Fido or Fluffy.