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 Weight Loss Diets - Maintaining During The Holidays |
09 Mar 09 |
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By: Bercle George |
Weight Loss Diets - Maintaining During The Holidays
Candy, baked goods, fattening side dishes and festive drinks - the list
of food temptations during the holiday season is longer than most
people's holiday gift shopping list. The statistics say that most
people gain weight during the holiday season (according to some
surveys, people may gain an average of a whopping seven pounds during
this time). The prospect of holiday belly is scary for anyone, but if
you are on a diet, the holiday season can be like a war zone. If you
are worried how you're going to get through the holidays and still fit
into your clothes at the end of it all, relax. These dos and don'ts
will help you fight off the holiday weight gain, while still enjoying
some of the treats the season has to offer.
Rule number one is: DO go into holiday eating with a plan. Don't show
up at holiday parties and family dinners thinking you'll just wing it.
A little bit of planning can make all of the difference for your diet
success. If you know that there are going to be a lot of temptations on
offer at a particular gathering, you can plan to indulge yourself a
little bit by eating lightly for a few days before the event. If you'd
rather not deprive yourself in the run up the big night, plan ahead by
having a healthy meal before you attend the event, so you don't go in
hungry. Even better, bring your own healthy foods with you to the
gathering. This tactic might not always be appropriate, but when you
can get away with it, it can be a lifesaver.
Next, DON'T deprive yourself of all of your holiday favorites. If
candy canes are your weakness and you tell yourself that you can't even
have one, you are setting yourself up for disaster in terms of a major
binge at some point. Allow yourself a treat within the confines of your
diet, to keep yourself on track.
Likewise, DO prioritize the foods you want to have a taste of. If you
love sugar cookies but aren't that excited about sweet potato
casserole, skip the starchy side during dinner and splurge on a cookie
for dessert. Empty calories are one of the biggest problems during the
holidays. Don't eat for the sake of eating - make sure you enjoy every
morsel you chow down on.
You should let up on yourself with the food restrictions during the
holidays, but DON'T let your exercise routine fall by the wayside.
Staying active will help burn those extra calories. The holidays are
busy, of course, and getting to the gym on your usual schedule can be a
challenge. You can add extra bursts of exercise into your day by
parking further away from the mall entrance or running your errands on
foot instead of driving from place to place.
Last but not least, DO give yourself a break. If you slip up on your
diet during the holidays, know that you are not alone. Don't turn a
little slip up into a major one by letting one bad diet day turn into
an excuse to ditch the diet completely. Get back on the horse and get
back on track with your diet as soon as you can.
DON'T count on New
Year's Resolutions to bail you out when you slip. Eating right is a
lifestyle, not a plan, and there is nothing special about a new year to
get you on track. Look at holiday eating as just another part of your
overall healthy lifestyle, and you'll be able to cross weight gain off
your list of holiday stressors.
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