The parties, dinners and once-a-year treats of the holiday season are infamous for packing on pounds. The trick is to enjoy everything without going overboard. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. With a little planning and a bit of discipline, you can avoid doing too much damage without feeling like you are depriving yourself. Here are suggestions for both eating and exercising throughout the holiday season.
Don't use food as a household decoration. Don't put out bowls of candy or nuts to grab at as you walk by. A half cup of peanuts contains about 450 calories. A half cup of M&Ms contains slightly more than 500 calories. For an adult who should typically consume about 2,000 calories a day, that's 25 percent of your entire ration for the day!
Limit super-calorie-dense items like eggnog. One cup of the nonalcoholic variety contains about 360 calories. It also will provide you with 50 percent of the daily recommended intake of saturated fat (that's the bad kind) and 44 percent of the recommended daily intake of cholesterol. If you look forward to this treat all year, go ahead and splurge, but keep the number of glasses down to just a few for the season, not the night.
Alternate alcoholic beverages with a glass of seltzer. Dress it up by pouring sparkling water into a wine glass with a fresh mint leaf and a few cranberries. If seltzer doesn't seem festive enough, try cinnamon- or peppermint-flavored herbal teas.
Drink plenty of water. Drink a glass of water before dinner and then pour yourself another glass for dinner. Make sure you drink it all by the time you finish a plate of food. The water will help fill you up and prevent the temptation of a second (or third) helping.
Eat slowly and savor every mouthful. Every stuffed mushroom tastes exactly like the one you already ate, so there really is no need to have 10.
Freeze leftovers quickly. Rather than leaving all the cookies and special treats around for a week, package them into small containers to use as treats for the next few months. You won't feel obliged to finish every last morsel so that they don't go to waste.
Traveling, shopping, and decorating can keep you away from your typical exercise routine, just when you need it the most. Even though schlepping bags through the mall can be exhausting, it doesn't really burn a lot of calories. Here are a few helpful hints at sneaking in as much good physical activity as is practical.
Exercise whenever possible, even if it's not your normal routine. A short walk during lunch is better than none at all. Twenty minutes of yoga or stretching can do wonders for aching backs and sore feet.
Bring comfortable shoes when visiting. Phone your favorite relatives ahead of time and ask them to do the same. After dinner, take off for a long, private walk with the whole family instead of making small talk around the dessert table.
Make it a family affair. Plan ahead for a family game of football or tag or capture the flag—whatever outside activity will be a hit: kids against grown-ups, men against women, whatever. Just make sure to plan ahead so everyone has appropriate clothing and footwear.
Play inside. Thanks to technology, multiple people can play active video games together. Have a family contest with something like Nintendo Wii bowling or golf. It's not as vigorous as real outdoor play, but it can be done in all weather and doesn't require a change of clothes.
All these activities have the extra bonus of getting you away from temptation. Sitting in a house, whether you are chatting or watching football on TV, offers the temptation to pick on leftovers or graze on desserts all afternoon. Always remember, food is fuel. No matter how fancy these seasonal delicacies may be, everything you put in your mouth is basically a source of energy (calories) for your body's needs. What doesn't get used gets stored as fat.
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