Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Wanting to avoid holiday weight gain is a subject that is on the minds of millions of Americans as we approach the holiday season for 2010.

The average person gains at least 2 pounds from just prior to Thanksgiving through New Years Day. Millions of individuals gain 7 pounds or more.

But it can be different for you.

First, it's unrealistic to think you are going to go all the way through the holidays without having a little more to eat than normal. That's as it should be and you deserve to enjoy the holidays!

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years just seem to fly by, along with all the terrific, tasty treats and dishes that make the holidays such a special time of the year. Don't treat yourself like the stepmother treated Cinderella! It's a fun time of the year! All the special treats and dishes are part of what make the holiday season unique.

You can enjoy your favorite holiday foods without putting on extra weight, by making up your mind to balance your enjoyment of the holidays, with your health.

Here are 12 helpful suggestions to help you avoid holiday weight gain, while still enjoying the holidays:

1. Add a little time, each day, to your normal exercise routine to help maintain balance. By adding just five or ten minutes each day, most extra calories will be consumed and you will avoid gaining weight during the holidays. You may even drop a pound or two.

2. Great holiday tradition - Walking with the Family!

A family walk:

-Gets folks out of the house and away from food for just awhile,

-Helps burn a few calories,

-Gives a sense of momentum toward healthy eating

-Helps most of the family group feel better and

-Hopefully draws the family closer together.

3. Slow down your digestion process by eating foods containing protein BEFORE eating foods containing carbohydrates. Doing this will help keep your blood sugar more stabilized, help you feel fuller sooner, and help you avoid overeating.

4. Enjoy the special treats you love, just fewer bites. The first two or three bites of any of your favorite foods are the most enjoyable and tasty. Allow yourself to enjoy special treats and your favorite dishes on the holidays, in moderation.

5. For Buffet style dinners, do a walk around the buffet line without a plate and notice your favorite items. Then take a minute or two to set your priorities. Then take the smaller plate and go through the buffet line, limiting your portions by not stacking your food. Only build one level of food on your plate. You can always go back if you missed something you are craving.

6. When it comes to dessert, enjoy those desserts you love most, in moderate portion.

7. At a big gathering, with food richly abundant, treat yourself to four or five bites of each of the foods you love most, and you will enjoy your meal without the misery of being over-stuffed.

8. Eat some foods that are normally forbidden and Enjoy Them! When you control your portions you can have your most favorite scrumptious foods without the emotional lashing you might otherwise give yourself.

9. Avoid going to a big meal hungry. Stay on your normal eating schedule the day of a big meal. This will help control your hunger so you are less likely to over-eat.

10. Fill up with less food by chewing your food more slowly. Try laying your fork down between bites so you enjoy your meal at a more relaxed pace.

11. Drink plenty of Water throughout the day to keep your cells hydrated, to maintain a strong energy level, and to support your digestion. Good hydration enables you to make better food choices.

12. Take time each day to unwind. During the holidays it is easy for schedules to get too busy and for each of us to reach emotional overload. The airlines express the idea well: "If traveling with a child, place your oxygen mask on first, then your child". You must insist on daily time to take care of yourself. Life will be more peaceful and you will do less emotional eating.

Trying to avoid holiday weight gain can be challenging. I hope these 12 suggestions are helpful.

May you have a healthy Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year!

Mark Chandler