Tips on Staying Slim Throughout the Holidays!

“Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” – Edna Ferber

The holidays are a festive time of year filled with celebrations and parties that seem to center around food. This isn’t a time when you should be concerned with dieting, instead place the majority of your focus on maintaining your weight. The following tips will help you stay slim throughout the holidays and keep those pounds from doing damage to your waistline.

Parties:

Never come to a party or gathering ravenous. Instead, eat something healthy and protein rich at home before the party and once you arrive choose healthy snacks to nibble on like vegetables and fruits. If the party is a pot luck type of gathering, bring a healthy dish to pass like hummus, vegetables and low fat pita chips or a salad loaded with vegetables, legumes and low calorie dressing. Also, keep cocktails to a minimum as they are loaded with sugar and empty calories. Better yet, pair your festive beverage with a glass of water to keep you full and help you cut back on portions.

Hit the Gym:

The holidays are an excellent time to hit the gym a little harder. This is a busy time of year with parties, holiday shopping and wrapping presents and most people usually choose this month to skip exercising. Make time in your hectic schedule to work out as you not only will help keep the pounds at bay, but you will feel better about yourself and will think twice about indulging on that extra holiday treat.

Don’t Deny Yourself:

Being too strict with your eating regimen during the holiday season won’t help you keep the pounds off. This could backfire and cause you to overindulge and gorge on a favorite treat. If you have a favorite cookie or snack during the holiday season, go ahead and enjoy within moderation. This doesn’t mean it until it’s gone, but instead enjoy a piece of cheesecake or chocolate fudge and be done. Maybe you don’t even need to eat the entire thing, but could be satisfied with just a bite or two.

Keep Track of Your Weight:

Manage your weight during the holiday season and keep track of your weight by stepping on the scale. By weighing yourself every other day, you’ll be able to see if the pounds are creeping on or if you’re keeping your weight under control.

Load Up on Fiber:

Foods rich in fiber are not only healthy for you, but they will also keep you full longer. Enjoy foods like whole grain rice or pastas, cabbage, spinach, beans and pumpkin.