Happy Holidays!
1. DON'T ARRIVE AT A PARTY HUNGRY. Have a nutritious snack before you head out to that big holiday party. It will keep you from arriving starving and gorging on everything in sight, but give you enough room in your tummy to enjoy a few tasty bites.
2. REMEMBER WHAT THE REAL REASON FOR A PARTY IS. I mean, what's the real reason we are attending parties? It's to hang out with our friends and family, so focus on that. One trick that I do is have one drink. I walk around socializing, sipping on that little drink. It gives me a treat, I feel like I am fitting in and part of the crowd, but the most important thing is I am not pounding down the calories.
3. THINK SMALL. Use a small plate. You can fill it up with wonderful delights, but keep the amount to a minimum. Allow yourself one plate and be done.
4. DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES. Remember that there are a lot of calories in alcohol and eggnog. Keep these to a minimum. It's more than just the calories in the drink as well. The more you drink the less control you have and you will eat a lot more than you realize.
5. BRING A HEALTHY DISH. If it's a potluck that you are attending make sure the thing you bring is a healthy dish. I do this all of the time when I am attending potlucks, because then I know there will be at least one thing there that I can turn to. Fill your plate up with that and then put a couple naughty treats on the side.
6. DO A PRE-PARTY WALK OR RUN. Head outside and burn some extra party calories. A few extra calories burned will give you a little wiggle room in what you can eat. Just remember that a three mile run will only give you an extra 300 calories, so you will still have to be picky about how you use those calories. Added bonus: when you exercise it changes your mentality. You don't want to sabotage all of the work you just did, so you will eat lighter naturally.
7. EAT SLOWLY. It takes the brain 20 minutes to register that you are full. If you hoover your food you can get a lot of calories down the pipe before you realize you are stuffed. Eat slow, talk in between your bites and enjoy each one - by the time you finish a small plate of food in your 20 minutes you will be surprised at how satisfied you are and you won't need any more to eat.
8. DON'T PUT YOUR FOOD ON THE DINNER TABLE. I use this trick all of the time for every single meal. I never put my food on the dinner table, we serve up in the kitchen and then go in to the table and sit. There are two amazing things about serving your food this way. One: you don't have to take the time to transport all of your food from the kitchen (where it was prepared) into another room and then back again when you are done. Two: If you want more food you have to actively get up and go get some. It's so much more tempting to slop more food on your plate when it's sitting there staring you in the face. It's also much easier to munch on the bread sticks and rolls while chatting when they are within arms reach. Out of sight, out of mind.
9. CHEW GUM. When you have had your fill, pop a piece of gum in your mouth. This will keep your mouth busy while you are swimming in a sea of hor d'ouevers. It also puts a little sweet flavor on the tongue to help curb the cravings.
10. BE PICKY! Do you really want to waste calories on 5 foods that just look "okay" or have that one that is amazing? Pick just one or two treats that would rock your world and totally satisfy your holiday craving instead of sampling everything just because it's there.
Following these tips you can have your cake and eat it too this holiday season, just be cautious. Enjoy yourself, the holidays and your loved ones, that is what the holidays are all about after all.
