7 Tips to Surviving Holiday Feasts

This Winter During the holidays, many people pack on at least seven pounds. Where it begins - November is the start of temptation season. It begins with Halloween candy and continues through to the New Year. For most of us, it’s the following equation: Treats + Parties + Temptation = Weight

This year make a pact with yourself to break that cycle. You can make it through the next two months without gaining weight. Try these seven tips to keep the holiday parties, treats, and your waistline under control.

Look before you eat. Check out all the foods at a party and allow yourself a little of one ‘bad’ food. Then fill the rest of your plate with healthy items like vegetables, lean meats, and salads with light dressing.

Snack before you go. When you’re not sure what foods you’ll be faced with, have a healthy snack before going to a holiday gathering. This way you won’t be as hungry and will be satisfied with smaller portions.

Keep your hands busy. Keep a calorie-free beverage in your hand at cocktail parties. This keeps your hands from mindlessly reaching into snack bowls and food trays.

Limit alcohol. Holiday drinks can be loaded with calories. They go down easy and add up quickly. Plus drinking more can make you more likely to snack without thinking about it.

Use a healthy recipe swap. Online, you can find lower-calorie, healthy recipes for just about anything. Check out sites like the cookinglight.com for healthier versions of family favorites.

Keep your balance. If you can keep a healthy and balanced diet most of the time, you’ll be half way there in preventing weight gain.

Keep goodies in hard-to-reach places so they’re less accessible. If you have to climb on a chair to reach the cookies, it’s going to make you think twice about having them.

Plan ahead. Having a plan for meals means having more control over your diet and your weight. Spend just a little time each week planning out the weekly meals. Focus on lots of vegetables, lean meat, fish and poultry and don’t overdo grains and starches.