By Dorene E. Carter, PhD, RD
Nutrition Consultant & Registered Dietitian
The very thought of the holidays probably conjures up images of tasty chocolate treats, hard candies, exotic cakes and rich pastries. And of course, there are grandma’s favorite holiday recipes to contend with. Having an abundance of irresistible treats could prove to be problematic for you if you are trying to lose weight.
Does that
mean that you should not enjoy those holiday goodies? I wouldn’t say
so.
The question is, “What can you do to make it through the holidays without
feeling guilty or like you have to endure some punishing regimen?”
Here are a few practical suggestions:
· Give yourself permission to eat and enjoy fun foods during
the holidays. Many special treats are only available during the holiday
season, so, you might not want to pass this opportunity to enjoy them.
But if you do, you must be willing to make some tradeoffs.
· Keep portions to a minimum. This is perhaps the single, most
important thing you can do to control the amount of calories that you
take in. If you can’t eat just a small portion of those high-calorie
foods, you might be wise to avoid them altogether.
· Plan ahead. Eating something light before attending a festive
event could help to keep you from getting ravenously hungry and gobbling
up everything in sight.
· Be forgiving. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you overeat.
Instead of lamenting about it, look for ways to burn those calories.
You can try to get more exercise and eat less high-fat, high calorie
foods over the next several days.
· Go easy on alcoholic beverages. Keep in mind that drinking
too much could have serious consequences. Opt for water or fruit flavored,
carbonated beverages.
· Keep things in perspective. The New Year offers you a chance
to redeem yourself. So, on January 1st, make the commitment to eat for
better health and stick to it.
· Have a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season!!!
Disclaimer: If you are on a medically prescribed diet, be sure to talk
to a registered dietitian about what adjustments you may make without
ruining your health.
Congratulations to all who celebrated our second annual World Junk-Food
Free Day on December 1, 2006. Continue to say no to sodas, sweets and
other junk food. Your health depends on it.
To have your diet and nutrition questions answered, send an email to drdorene@dailydietguide.com
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