Healthy Celebrations

I love to celebrate. And celebrations always involve food, don't they? Think about your favorite family gatherings, they often involve time spent around a table or standing around in the kitchen. Or at least, they did in my family! From Memorial weekend cookouts to Christmas cookie swaps, food plays an important part in our rituals and celebrations. As we approach the holidays, I am reminded that the average person gains 8-10 pounds between the Thanksgiving and New Year's holiday. Weight that most people won't lose during their ill-fated new year's resolutions!

How do we prevent this? How do we enjoy celebrations, while maintaining our weight? First of all, that's one sensible goal. Instead of planning for significant weight LOSS, focus on maintaining - not gaining! Then, you can enjoy the holidays without fear of failure when you weigh in next time.

Here are some of my tried and true TOP 5 tips for handling all sorts of celebrations:

1. Don't skip meals in preparation for overeating later. You'll just be hungrier and eat more later.
2. Have a small healthy snack (something with a little protein) before your event. This will take the edge off, so you're not too hungry (see #1)!
3. Bring a dish! Take something healthy that you really enjoy, if you can. Then you can easily eat on that item and know that it's healthy and you can enjoy it as much as you like.
4. Watch the liquid calories! Alcohol, lemonade, and sodas can all pack on the pounds. Beverages don't fill you up like solid foods, so stick with water and calorie-free beverages. At the very least, alternate one glass of water between other beverages.
5. Don't stand near the buffet. Simple proximity can have a big effect on how much you eat. My grandfather used to call it "using your table muscles" by pushing away from the table.

Celebrations should be joyful occasions! We just need to do a little advance planning for success. Here's to healthy holidays...Cheers!