During the months of November and December, our days are usually filled with family, friends, fun, and FOOD.  A national survey shows that on average most people gain anywhere from 1 to 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Follow these simple tips to keep that extra weight away.

1) Exercise- Get moving! On the days you know you might overindulge in yummy holiday foods, make sure to include some type of exercise. Depending on your age and fitness level, this could include anything from running “The Turkey Trot” to walking into the store from the back of the parking lot.

2) “Revamp” your cooking methods and ingredients- Switch it up! Although most of us have grown up making our homemade biscuits with shortening and pouring the dark corn syrup into our pecan pie, learn to get around some of these unnecessary calories. Good examples include: substitute half of your oil with applesauce, use low fat yogurt instead of sour cream, and use Splenda for baking which can be substituted 1 cup for 1 cup.

3) Eat Regularly- To keep the pounds from packing on, you must eat regularly.  Don’t starve yourself for days and then overeat at a few large meals. The key to a healthy weight is small frequent meals.

4) Portion distortion- If you are one who feels the need to try every dish on the table, take one tablespoon of everything and eat on a salad plate. This leaves our mind satisfied that we can clean our plate and leaves our cooks happy as well.

5) Keep your distance- From the food table that is! The one problem most all humans have is the temptation of food in plain sight. For most of us, if food is there to snack on, we are going to eat it while socializing. So move away from the food table. “Out of sight, out of mind!”

Remember, with the help of these tips, you won’t have to begin the new year resolving to lose the weight you gained in December.  Wishing you wonderful holidays!
 
Megan Holloway, outpatient dietitian at Huguley Memorial Medical Center, counsels individuals for weight loss, healthy eating and other nutritional goals.  For more information, call 817-568-3155.