MyWeightLossForLife.com

Hold off the Holiday Weight Gain

You haven’t even lost the Thanksgiving weight and Christmas is right around the corner. Even more weight is inevitable, right?

Not necessarily. Yes, I put on a few pounds over the Thanksgiving holiday too, and I know myself well enough to realize that I’m not going to pass on all the Christmas goodies either. So, what can I do (and you!) to avoid putting on lots of weight I’ll just feel bad about come January?

• Exercise. This is my first line of defense. If you’re not already getting up and doing some sort of exercise each day, now’s the time to start. Spend some time on that old exercise equipment, take your dog for a walk, anything. I like to hurry around the house and straighten up as quickly as I can. Add in a trip or two up and down the stairs and lots of bending and lifting, and I get a pretty good workout.
• Portion Control. Yes, I’ll have the ham, the crescent rolls, the cookies, all of it. Christmas comes once a year, but I don’t have to keep the weight around forever. By deliberately choosing smaller portions, I can regain some control over the number of calories I consume.
• Eat when hungry. The holidays often mean lots of social eating, and it’s hard to resist the snacks that are brought in to work, the buffet tables, the desserts. When I know that I’ll be in this situation, I plan ahead by eating light the rest of the day. The holidays also bring up a lot of emotions, and emotional eating. If you’re like me and prone to reaching for comfort foods in times of stress, take a few minutes and think about why you’re eating, and if you really want to eat at all.

You don’t have to gain a lot of weight this holiday season, and with a little planning, you also won’t have to deny yourself either! What could be better?