Fight Festive Fat

Ahh, the holidays…my favorite time of year. I just love all the lights, sounds and smells of the season. The moment Halloween decorations hit the front lawn I know the rest of my year will be a flurry of fun filled family activities culminating in a photo finish New Years Eve. For a lot of us this time of year also triggers a sense of entitlement that overeating to excess and indulging our every food whim is acceptable. And why wouldn’t we? Everywhere we turn tables are bursting with all our favorite flavors beckoning us to break our hard earned healthful habits and blow up our bellies. In fact, studies suggest that on average Americans gain approximately 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. But this does not have to be the case for you my Gen Jones sisters!! I’ve got a few simple secret strategies I employ every year that keep me from packing on the pounds. And they will do the trick for you too.

1. Maintain your exercise routine. There can be no excuses and there is no better time to NOT slack. If you don’t have time to make it to the gym or if the weather outside is nasty, workout at  home. Even a quick 20 minute stint is enough to keep your metabolism up to snuff. Pull out the exercise video that’s been sitting on your shelf, use that piece of exercise equipment you just had to buy last January or turn on ExerciseTV. It is a great on-demand service. It’s free, it’s on your cable system and there are 10-20 or 30 minute workouts at a variety of exercise intensities.

2. Eat a snack before the party. A crisp apple, celery sticks with mozzarella cheese, or a slice of whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter are some tasty choices. This will take the edge off so you can resist grabbing everything that looks good on the coffee table.

3. Don’t deny yourself completely. It’s okay to indulge in a small portion of your very favorite treat. Choose something that is really delicious and really satisfying for you. If your thing is pigs in a blanket have two, chocoholics; take a square of grandma’s homemade fudge, even you fruitcake lovers can spoil yourself with a slim slice.

4. Pull away from the buffet table. Take a dessert size plate for your food instead of the dinner plate. You can fill it up, one time, but not brimming so that it’s going to spill. Once you’ve carefully and thoughtfully made your selections move across the room away from the table. That way you will not be tempted to refill your plate. You also will be less likely to commit the deadliest holiday food sin of all… pop something into your mouth right from the buffet and think that since it wasn’t on your plate it doesn’t count (it does).

5. Eat breakfast. Do not skip any meals even if you overindulged the night before. Every morning is a new opportunity to start fresh and be healthy all day. Have a good protein and veggie filled breakfast. I like an egg white omelet loaded with spinach. The whites provide all the advantages of protein with none of the added yolk fat. And because protein takes longer to digest than carbs it stays with you longer and actually helps you burn more calories in the digestive process.

6. Drink green tea. Tea warms your insides, soothes your soul and relaxes your mind. Research suggests that green tea’s phytochemical compounds may speed up the body’s metabolic rate, trigger the release of fat and promote fat burning.

7. Chew some zero calorie gum. If you are preparing sweet treats for the annual cookie party go ahead and get stir crazy, but don’t lick the spoon. Eat a healthy meal before you start any baking project and finish your meal off with a refreshing stick of peppermint gum. That seemingly harmless dough ball can cost you 300 calories. Chewing gum will keep your jaw moving and peppermint is a proven appetite inhibitor.

8. Skip the sides. At holiday dinners fill up on the crudite’s before the meal.  Endeavor to keep your proteins and vegetables pristine and lean…no gravy, dressings or high calorie condiment accents.

9. Be drink savvy. Alcohol is full of empty calories, almost twice as much as carbs and protein. The average drink contains 150 to 200 calories per glass. If you don’t want to be a party pooper or deny yourself a little holiday cheer completely — mix it up. Instead of drinking a full glass of wine, fill half a glass and top with sparkling water or diet soda.

10. Be a social butterfly. Focus on family and friends instead of food. The more face time you spend with your loved ones the less time you will have to feed your face.

Enjoy this holiday season slim. Your Grass is Green.

xo