At the meeting of one weight-loss club, a new member stood to tell her reason for joining. When she said she had been gaining two pounds a year, heavier members scoffed. Then she added … for the last 10 years.
Some health studies show that the average person gains four pounds in November and December of any given year. Eating less in January does away with two or three pounds, but all too often an extra pound or two hangs on. One pound a year sounds insignificant, but over time it adds up to 10 or 20 pounds. That’s a health problem. Good advice for avoiding holiday weight gain can be found everywhere:
Eat smaller portions, avoid high-fat foods, and don’t be hungry when you go to a holiday feast are among the instructions. Somehow, when people get to the table, the advice is lost in the aroma of the food. Try your best to remember it anyway.
Here are a couple of easy-to-take steps that could help.
♦ Don’t have a cocktail before dinner. It makes you want to eat more.
If drinks are offered after dinner, opt for dry wine or a mixed drink. Caution the host to go light on the alcohol. Water is the best drink.
♦ Instead of dishing up some of everything, choose only your favorites. Even those will add up fast, so take a smaller portion instead of what your appetite suggests.
♦ Bring a healthy dish to dinner. Example: instead of traditional green bean casserole, make yours with chunks of potatoes instead of cream soup and top it with chopped almonds instead of fried onion rings.
♦ Plan a new tradition. Invite everyone to take a holiday walk after dinner. The
joyful camaraderie and exercise are invigorating.
♦ At home, eat healthy meals before and after the day of a big dinner party.
Don’t overeat just to get rid of attractive leftovers. Just get rid of them.
♦ Keep the goodies out of sight. If you maintain a holiday table with cookies
and fancy candies, you’ll probably snag one every time you walk by.
Most importantly, enjoy the holidays and enjoy the treats…just don’t overindulge so that it brings you heartache when you step on the scale.
Thanks for sharing this helpful article on how to lose holiday weight without the use of drugs or unhealthy habits. Your advice covers the main diet restrictions and ways to prevent unhealthy eating, which can lead to weight gain and bad health. Here is a helpful article that talks about the role of diet, fixing internal imbalances and staying on track: http://blog.swintegrativemedicine.com/blog/bid/118426/phoenix-weight-loss-dr-give-tips I hope this helps in further substantiating your advice in how people can lose their holiday weight.
-Dr. Terranella