The holiday eating season is upon us, beginning with Thanksgiving and continuing on through the new year. To someone trying to lose weight, this season can be a huge struggle! However, I say you can win the fight against weight gain, even while enjoying the festive foods of the season. What you need is a well thought out battle plan! Here are some ideas:
Eat protein first - Protein will trigger the "I'm full" sensation sooner.
Serve yourself 1/3 less than you would have otherwise. You probably won't even notice!
Drink lots of water - to make you feel full. Plus, it's common to nibble when your body really just needs to be hydrated.
Fill most of your plate with white turkey meat and vegetables. Leave less room for the refined carbs (stuffing, candied yams, white rolls, etc...)
Take your time eating. Focus on visiting and conversation at the table instead of stuffing yourself.
Don't go for seconds. Turn in your plate when finished eating, thus avoiding the temptation to fill it with seconds.
Make wiser dessert choices. When faced with a mountain of desserts, choose one small slice of your one favorite dessert, or 2 bites of your 2 favorites.
Share your dessert with your significant other. Plus, my mother insists that there are no calories if you're eating off of someone else's plate! 
Skip the whipped cream/ice cream - You'll save a ton of calories.
Don't eat the pie crust - Again, you'll save a ton of calories!
Go for a walk after dinner instead of collapsing on the couch in a food coma.
Go easy on hors d'oeuvres. Take 1 or 2 tastes and that's it! Save yourself for the main dinner.
Beware of the munchies - the chips, pretzels, nuts, popcorn, and candies. One handful is a serving. Stick with that!
Cook healthier. If you're cooking the meal, use less butter and salt; keep the skin on potatoes; cook a big, mixed vegetable dish; serve a vegetable tray instead of chips; have whole grain rolls instead of white.
Offer low-fat/lower calorie options to your guests, like skim milk, water, lite salad dressing, low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt, lite whipped cream, etc.
Be mindful of what you're putting in your mouth. Don't eat while watching the game or the holiday specials.
Bring a healthy dish to the potluck. That way you know you can fill up on it if you're surrounded by fattening foods!
Skillfully handle leftovers. If the host/hostess invites you to take home some leftovers, you can - A: Politely refuse, or B: Say, "thank you" and then you dish out the type and amount of leftovers you want. If you're the host, encourage your guests to take home leftovers, especially the desserts! 
Keep up with your exercise routine. Granted this is a busy time of year, but planning ahead will help you maintain your workout schedule (and your waistline)!
Prepare at breakfast. On the day of a big dinner, eat a lighter breakfast of protein and a complex carbohydrate. The goal is to start the day on a healthy note, feel satisfied, and be able to save yourself for the holiday meal without feeling ravenous!
Enjoy the day! Enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells! Focus on the meaning of the season, and don't stress too much over the food. After all, we've got a lot to be thankful for, and that includes the food.
photo credit: lstedman
Originally posted 2007-11-21 08:00:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Post-Holiday Blues The day after Christmas can be such a let down. I felt this especially as a kid. I would wait in anticipation for what seemed like an eternity for Christmas Day. I could hardly sleep the night before in my excitement. Yet, once Christmas Day had come and gone, the...... -
More Heart Health Food Tips Heart health food tips can go a long way in improving your overall coronary health. If you want to improve the health of your heart and your over all health and well being as well, the following heart health food tips are going to come in handy: Take the time...... -
Healthy Eating Plans for Increased Nutrition When it comes to getting healthy and losing weight, one of the best things that you can do is to add healthy eating plans to your lifestyle. If you want to lose weight, build a healthier body or just improve your general health, then healthy eating plans are going to...... -
Getting Picky Eaters to Eat Healthy A friend of mine shared her frustration of having a picky eater in the house and asked for suggestions on how to introduce healthier foods. "He doesn't like vegetables, rarely touches fruits, and would eat peanut butter all day if up to him." The "he" she was referring to is...... - Cook Healthy Dinners - And Still Have a Life! Many of us have crazy, busy schedules; yet we want to cook healthy meals for us and our family. Problem is, how can you balance the demands of the day with preparing healthy meals? The key for me is planning and organization! Without them I'd be calling out for pizza......
Related Websites - Review: Eat this, Not that! Thousands of Simple Food Swaps that Can Save You 10, 20, 30 lbs or More! by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding Title - Eat this, Not that! Thousands of Simple Food Swaps that Can Save You 10, 20, 30 lbs or More! Author - David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding Format - Paperback, 304 pages ISBN - 1594868549 and 978-1594868542 Publisher - Rodale Books Release Date - December 10, 2007 Can you......
- Is the key to weight loss exercise or eating less? Jim and I read this Time article at about the same time: Why exercise won't make you thin (A friend on Facebook pointed me to it.) The article suggests that exercise has comparatively little to do with weight loss. What does make the difference is simply eating less. The calorie-burning......
-
Summer Savings Series #1: Food Is A Big Expense. How Can You Save? Food Is Expensive Isn't It? I recently asked my twitter.com followers what they spend on groceries every month. I got answers ranging anywhere $250/month for a family of two to over $600/month for a family of 4. The largest family was a family of 6 who spends $450/month on...... -
Unusual Xmas Gifts Every holiday season, people scurry about from store to store to buy Christmas gifts for everyone on their list. While some thought is put into these gifts, most people just have too much to do at that time of year to really shop for something personal or unusual that...... -
Learn to Automate Your Eating Habits If you want your diet and exercise effort to work the way you intend for it to, then eating right has to become something that is as automatic for us as it was for our ancestors. It may seem like an insurmountable achievement, but really, it's a lot easier than......
- Rolls-Royce, Bentley British Automobiles Advertising Collectibles
- Jessica Simpson Dessert Lip Gloss Makeup Store
- Rolls Coins US Coins Paper Money
Categories:
1 comment so far ↓
[...] Fitness Life presents Holiday Meal Battle Plan posted at Nutrition Fitness Life, saying, "Tips to battle weight gain as we enter this holiday [...]
Leave a Comment