14 Ways To Manage Your Weight During The Holiday Season – Part 1: Eating Better
In this 2 part series we’ll be looking at simple ways to manage your weight during the holiday season. Let’s begin with tips on eating better:
1. Aim to Maintain Your Weight, Not Lose It!
With all the holiday food around, it’s a little unrealistic to try and lose weight during the holiday season. Focus on maintaining your current weight till January.
2. Chew Gum:
Each Strip is about 10 calories and is a much better alternative to all the holiday snacks being offered at the office and at home.
3. Keep The Holiday Stress To a Minimum:
According a 2004 American Psychological Association Survey, 36% of Americans have extra alcohol & food to cope with the holiday stress. The leading causes of this stress are:
- Gift Giving
- Lack of time
- Credit Card Debt
We recommend the following ways to avoid holiday stress:
- Plan Ahead: Make a realistic gift budget and sub-divide it into how much you can afford for each individual friend and family member.
- Do some of your Christmas shopping in October: If you don’t see too many ways to cut your gift expenses in December, save money & buy a few gifts a couple of months before the holiday season.
- Shop Online: If you’re down to last few days, shop online to save time. You’re certain to get some great discounts & you’ll avoid the big crowds.
4. Skip Cream Based Dressings:
Cream based dressings add a lot of calories to holiday foods. Minimize them or skip them all together.
5. Decrease the Calories in What you Bake:
Check out our tips to reduce calories while baking. See if you can use some of these for your favorites.
6. Keep Track:
Even if your goal is simply to maintain your weight, continue keeping track. By keeping track of how much you’re eating, you can avoid any bad January weight gain surprises.
7. Avoid Alcohol or Drink in Moderation:
Check out the following numbers for calories in alcohol:
Regular Beer (12 oz.) 150 Calories
Light Beer (12 oz.) 110 Calories
Kahlua Liqueur (1.5 oz.) 190 Calories
Gin (1.5 oz.) 100 Calories
Rum (1.5 oz.) 100 Calories
Vodka (1.5 oz) 100 Calories
Whiskey (1.5 oz) 100 Calories
Martini (4 oz.) 160 Calories
Daiquiri (6 oz.) 180 Calories
Whiskey Sour (4 oz.) 160 Calories
Long Island Iced Tea (6 oz.) 350 Calories
Margarita (6 oz.) 250 Calories
So drinking less will save you a lot of calories. Here are two quick ways to drink less alcohol:
- Volunteer to be the designated driver
- Don’t drink two glasses back to back. Alternate with a glass of water.
8. Eat a Sandwich Before Heading Out to a Holiday Party:
You are likely to be invited to many Christmas parties around this period. Simply eat a sandwich before you go and you’re likely to eat less of the party food.
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