Top 10 Holiday Eating Tips (Or, how to keep the pounds off Nov-Jan!)
Research from the University of Hawaii shows that most peoples annual weight gain occurs between October and February. But, if you research “Holiday Eating Tips” or similar search, there’s a bunch of really bad tips out there, trust me, I did it. So, after spending hours scouring the web, and discussing it with Dr. Kepo’o, here’s the EZ Wellness Club easy to follow, effective top 10 list of holiday eating tips designed to keep you healthy during the holidays!
Click here to grab these tips in printable PDF format… fridge ready. HolidayHealthtipsPDF.3pdf
1. Water is your best friend. Here are a few ways water can help you avoid packing on pounds during holidays.
-First, drink more water starting right now. Most people simply don’t drink enough water. Plus, most people who THINK they drink enough don’t! You can test this by asking yourself this question: “How many times in the last 24 hours have I been uncomfortable because I really needed to pee?” If the answer is none, you aren’t drinking enough 😉
-Keep a bottle with you, and drink half your body weight in ounces daily. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need 75 ounces.
-Next, drink a full glass of water before every meal. This will get you feeling full, and help you keep from gorging.
-Lastly, don’t drink calories! At parties try to moderate your alcohol and sugary drink intake with sparkling water and lemon. Dr Joe suggest making the water room temp. or warm for better results.
2. Weigh yourself daily. According to Psychology today, weighing daily helps people lose weight and keep it off.
3. Don’t arrive hungry. Eat some healthy food before you go to the party or dinner. You will not only feel better, you’ll be a better guest as well. A salad or an apple is a great pre-event option.
4. Ratio Your Plate. You can absolutely eat a large plate of food, and really enjoy it, without it being a fat inducing stomach bomb. It’s simple, really. Put the veggies on first. Salad, steamed veggies, raw veggies, whatever. Choose the ones you love most and fill half your plate with them. Next, add the meat, as much as you want. Then, add the potatoes or whatever other high carb dish is being served, but keep this portion small, definitely smaller than the size of your fist. Lastly, go easy on the gravy, don’t smother the entire plate with it, just put on enough to flavor the dish. Chew slowly and enjoy every single bite. If you know that where you are going is not going to make this option available, bring your own healthy dish.
5. Really enjoy half a dessert! Most people take too much dessert, then scarf it down like it’s the last thing they are ever going to eat. Don’t do that! Instead, share a dessert with your partner, and take tiny bites, savoring every single one of them! You will make your dessert last longer, taste better, and avoid downing unnecessary calories.
6. Eat a healthy breakfast. Include lean protein and fiber. Eggs are a superfood, and an omelet with fresh veggies is delicious and filling. Green Smoothies are another great option. Don’t skip any meals the day of the party.
7. Keep your exercise regimen going! While it’s true you can’t out-exercise pour nutrition, exercise burns calories, helps you sleep better, and is a discipline that is likely to keep you from gorging more than you should.
8. Avoid white carbs! Breads, crackers, cookies, cake, potatoes, and sugars. If you just can’t avoid them, be super selective of what you put on your plate, choose the one portion you will enjoy the most, and as in above example, eat it slowly, and savor it, and don’t have any more!
9. Don’t eat from bowls or bags. If you must have Cheetos, potato chips, nachos etc., the best way is to take a small portion, put it on a plate and don’t replenish it. Eat it slowly and deliberately, and enjoy every last naughty bite! Did you know that a portion of nachos with cheese has 346 calories?! And a portion is only 6-8 nachos! If you eat from the bowl or bag, it’s too easy to down 1,000 plus calories without even realizing what you did.
10. Avoid unhealthy people. Let’s face it, most people adopt a lousy health attitude during the holidays… but not everybody. There’s usually a handful of sharp, healthy people in the room that if you sit by them, or spend most of your time with them, they will help you overcome that blasted little sugar devil on your shoulder. The old saying “birds of a feather flock together” is true, and we tend to be influenced, for good or bad, by those closest to us. So, keep healthy company the best you can!
Lastly, if you really want to get ahead of your New Years Resolution and actually LOSE WEIGHT during the holidays, do this:
1. Order some Pounds and Inches Drops.
2. Use Thanksgiving meal as day one of your loading day, and the following Friday and Saturday as completion of loading phase.
3. Do a round of HCG diet from Nov 30th to Dec 20th. You will easily lose between 15-30 pounds during this time!
4. Cheat during Christmas and New Years, but not too much. Weigh daily and don’t allow yourself to put on more than 5 pounds by Jan 2.
5. Voila! You enter the new year lighter than you were on Thanksgiving day, and thoroughly enjoyed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years! What a great plan!
Notes:
University of Hawaii Study: http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/Prospective%20Study%20of%20Holiday%20Weight%20Gain.pdf
Psychology Today piece on weighing yourself daily http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/minding-the-body/201312/daily-weighing-may-help-manage-your-weight
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