All too often the holidays add a few extra pounds to our waistlines (on average 7 – 9 lbs) from Thanksgiving through New Years. Do something different this season and aim to enjoy each holiday party and dinner without experiencing holiday weight gain. Wouldn’t that be crazy good? Here are some ideas to make that happen.

• • Plan your eating strategy ahead of time. Drink a glass of water and eat a little something before leaving home for that holiday party or dinner. Check in with your feelings about this gathering and decide who will be in control before you leave the house. Getting plenty of rest during the holidays will help you stay on track.

 

• • When you arrive to your holiday destination and get settled, take your focus to something outside of yourself. Look out the window at the snow, the clouds moving across the sky, the blush of sunset. Or listen to the sound of your children playing in the living room, a favorite song. Focusing on sensory input calms the mind, gets you back in your body and helps you stay present. It’s also a fast, simple way to break the chain of negative self talk.

 

• • If you’re presented with a holiday buffet, scope out your favorites before diving in, and eliminate choices you don’t really care about. Choose lower fat offerings such as shrimp with cocktail sauce, skinless grilled or baked chicken. Offer to bring a low fat appetizer such as colorful cut-up vegetables and dip. Don’t float around the buffet or the kitchen. After you’ve had your fill, find someone to talk to and focus on the conversation instead of the food. Keep your hands full with water.

 

• • As you load up your plate, watch portion sizes. A serving size of meat is 3 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards. If you’re having more than one type of meat, like ham or lamb, take smaller portions of each. Reach for the lighter pieces of meat; they have fewer calories and less fat than the darker ones. And make sure to take off the skin.

 

• • Fill half your plate with the green stuff: salads, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, peas, or whatever. This may be the one day you get your allotment of vegetables in for the day!

 

• • Pass on the rolls and butter when they are offered. They may be hot and tempting, but we can eat those any old day. You really can do this!

 

• • Dressing is intended to be a complement to your meal. Aim for about half a scoop with a serving spoon if the dressing is filled with fatty meats (sausage and pork), or looks greasy or buttery. Better options would be dressings that look drier and have whole grain or cornbread, lean meat (or no meat), nuts (like almonds or walnuts), and lots of veggies and fruits (celery, grapes, cranberries, carrots, onions).

 

• • Limit gravy to one tablespoon, and keep it off other items beyond the meat. Let’s face it; there is plenty of fat on that plate without it! Cranberry sauce doesn’t contain as much fat or sodium, but it can be high in sugar, so limit yourself to 1/4 cup.

 

• • Now that your plate is full, decide to eat slowly and savor the flavors. Watch how others in the room are eating. See if you can figure out their relationship to food. Perhaps you could find one good trait about all those around your table. You may find the need for seconds has passed if you give yourself time to recognize that you are full.

 

• • One way to enjoy dessert without losing control is by sampling. Have one bite of pie, half a cookie and one small square of fudge. Find a friend or family member who will stick to the sampling rule with you. If you feel you cannot eat small amounts, choose one small dessert you will enjoy and forget about the others. Try a flavored cup of coffee or tea to curb the temptation for more sweets.

 

• • Pace your holiday drinking. Limit your intake to one to two alcoholic drinks for men and one drink for women. To reduce the amount of calorie-laden drinks you consume, drink a glass of water between each beverage and have a half-wine/half-seltzer spritzer. Or have a mock-tail. No one has to know what you are drinking.

 

• • Don’t be coerced into eating more when a well-meaning hostess encourages you to have seconds or thirds. It’s okay to graciously refuse by saying “Thanks. Everything is so delicious. I’m really quite satisfied!”

 

• • When it is all over, notice how good it feels to not be overstuffed. Enjoy the rest of the evening visiting with others, rather than feeling uncomfortable, or worse, falling asleep. Acknowledge your success. Make it your norm from here on out.

 

• • Be happy now. We think that once we get thin, or give up sugar we’ll be happy. The crazy thing is that it works just the opposite. Once you allow yourself to be happy, you’ll have a better chance of achieving your goals. Happy people are less likely to eat from stress, depression or anxiety. So, enjoy the ride.

 

• • If you do eat more than you planned, don’t beat yourself up. Just set your sights on eating moderately the next day.

 

• Step up the physical activity and keep moving through the holiday season. It can offset the extra calories and blow off some steam. Things like going for a family walk after each meal or shooting hoops, jumping rope or playing catch are good family activities. Make time to have fun.