Many folks think that making an attempt to lose weight throughout the holidays is very unlikely, simply because the entire season seems to center around rich, fat-laden food. Nearly every party and gathering you go to will include high calorie dips, baked products, fried foods, and candy. Who can focalize on losing weight with all of that staring them in the face?
Nevertheless there are plenty of ways to lose weight during the holidays without feeling deprived.
Here are a few good ones to start with:
1) Healthy to go.
If you attend a holiday party, prepare a varied large vegetable or fruit platter to take with you. Add a dish of local dip like salsa or hummus and you have got something you can munch on for hours and consume few calories. Do not be surprised if other folks at the party are excited to have healthier options too!
2) Healthy baked goods.
Most cookies, pies, and cakes are high in calories, but you can easily whip up some low-calorie, healthy options. Try low fat bran muffins with raisins, no sugar cookies, and modified low-fat fruit cobbler.
3) Eat healthy first.
Regardless of whether you do want to sample a few goodies at a holiday party, you’ll have a much easier time staying in control if you eat some healthy foods before you leave home. Enjoy a generous green salad, fruit salad, or baked chicken or fish with cooked veggies. You will not be hungry so that you can safely enjoy a treat at the party without over-indulging.
4) Compromise.
If you eat out at a restaurant during the holidays, you could be tempted to enjoy an alcoholic beverage or two, an appetizer, a rich meal and a rich dessert – all of which will stop your weight loss for a day or 2. But compromising can be a good way around this dilemma. For instance, promise yourself that you will drink seltzer water with lime rather than alcohol and have a baked or broiled dish for your meal, and then enjoy a small dessert and coffee afterward. If dessert isn’t your weakness, you could compromise on the appetizer and meal; enjoy a healthy veggie appetiser and a rich meal – or just enjoy every one of them but eat tiny portions and take the rest home in to go bag.
You can definitely lose weight during the holidays if you simply make conscious choices about what goes into your mouth – remember that excess fat will usually settle on your hips, stomach, or thighs if you make unhealthy decisions.
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