TIS THE SEASON TO MAINTAIN NOT GAIN 

GOAL: Main goal of this post is to provide tools to prevent weight gain during the holidays; I will discuss ways to prep your-self before, during and how to deal with damage control after parties should there be a blunder; I also plan to discuss how to manage the treats in the house, the treats you bring to a party and lessen the dietary impact they could have

• BLOOD SUGAR BALANCING:  The best way to prevent “autopilot feeding” is to keep your blood sugar balanced – this applies to everyday situations as well; eat small frequent meals that have a carbohydrate and a protein and/or good fat included – ex: oatmeal, ¼ cup nuts, ¼ fruit; toast with nut butter – good snack; white cheese and grapes/pretzels/crackers; apple and nut butter; pepitas/sunflower seeds and a pear
• Get in a bit of exercise before the party so you’ve burnt a few calories off the bat – don’t use it as an excuse to overindulge though!
• PARTY PREP:  the day of the party eat a well balanced breakfast – 1/3^rd protein and 2/3rds carbohydrate comprised of a whole grain product high in fiber and a fruit or vegetable; a fiber filled snack; if the party is in the afternoon make sure the snack is eaten an hour before the party – make sure the snack has a good amount of fiber and protein – pure carb snacks will do nothing for you – my pre party fave: air popped popcorn and home roasted holiday spiced nuts; on the run and can’t get in a snack – a small bag of trail mix; a luna protein bar will do in a jiffy.
• SELF TALK PRIOR TO THE PARTY:  make a commitment to yourself to “eat consciously” – meaning you will think about the things you are contemplating eating before putting them in your mouth.  Also if you are going to drink alcohol – make it a “spritzer” party – half each glass of white wine with seltzer water.  Or consider making your own spritzer concoction – vodka is a good base for spritzers with fruit juice.  Spritzers – not your thing? Low calorie beers are not so bad these days.  Diet sodas with hard liquor reduce calories.  Blended fruit drinks sans creams also save some calories.  Water is always your best option as alcohol impairs the thought process and the game plan goes out the door after a while!  SIZE UP THE BUFFET:  think about what nutrients are in the items offered at the “buffet” – which ones are higher in fiber and vitamins – those are your friends; then determine which ones are empty calories but will taste oh so good; GAME PLAN:  grab as many vegetables as you would like or perhaps some fruit, then consider what protein options are available and choose a partner in blood sugar stabilization to your veggies…no veggies (go back to pre party planning – consider bringing veggies/fruit or a high fiber snack to always have a back up).  If there is a dip for the fruit or veggies and you didn’t make it go easy and consider doing re-con to determine the ingredients.  Just because a dip is non-fat doesn’t mean it doesn’t have calories so if you like dip stick with 1 tbsp to get the damage free flavor.  Back to the protein partner to the carbs – cheese is an okay option but remember what one ounce of cheese looks like (four dice) – that’s one serving – white cheeses are lower in fat than yellow ones like cheddar or brie.  The more aged a cheese the more fat and cholesterol.  Lunch meat slices and nuts are other good protein options.  A handful of nuts is one serving and three slices of lunch meat is one serving.  The lunch meat is a good low calorie option.  The nuts are great for protein and fiber but will have fat and if they are roasted there will be no omega three fatty acids for the cardioprotective bonus.  Sometimes there are olives and pickles – not bad options – pickles can be filling and so can olives – sodium warning here!  Olives will have less calories than nuts and will have heart healthy oils.  What about salads, pasta salads, potato salads, waldorf salads etc….well if there is no dressing on the salad no prob – add your own in moderation – but remember add a protein to the salad if there is none.  The rest of the salads mentioned may have mayo or lots of oil – scope out the situation – if it looks like mayo best to save the calories for the “to die for” sweet treats!
• Once you’ve chosen your appetizers – walk away – preferably to the other end of the room and don’t stand by the food – that encourages nibbling!  No mousey actions here – time to mingle!
• THE MAIN COURSE:  hopefully if you’ve strategized effectively you’re not stuffed by this point but could “sample” here.  Best thing to go for here is the meat as it is high in protein = filling; only pitfall – if the turkey has been injected or deep fried then there’s more fat; try the ham in that case.  So you say your vegetarian:  no prob if there’s not tofurkey – look for a bean salad or casserole – yes there will be calories but there will also be protein and fiber.   Look for whole grain bread, a grain dish (rice, couscous, pasta) and consider adding some nuts.  Don’t load up on the plain carbs!  Portion control is key here: 1/3^rd protein and 2/3rds grain/veggie.   Remember you do not have to finish your plate.  Chew each morsel 20 times minimum and put your fork down in between bites to check in for “tummy status” updates.
• THE GRAND FINALE:  run a mental inventory of the foods eaten and how “full” you feel; check-ins are good here mingle a bit – walk the room.  Get a tour of the house; inspire a “herd walk” in the neighborhood.  Find the kids and get some dance fever flowing.  10 minutes of moderate movement will burn 100 calories.  See what “to die for” treats are available and have one.  Mingle some more, play with the kids!   If there’s dancing – rip up the dance floor – this will bring some extra calories for sure!
• POST PARTY EXERCISE:  consider spinning around your living room in those heels – you’ve put in the effort to look good – work it!  Dance for a ½ hr at home after the party and burn a few more calories.  Consider a walk again…feeling good after the party?? Some bedroom time burns calories too.
  • TREATS IN THE HOUSE AND TREATS TO BRING TO A PARTY – we all make our fave holiday desserts and treats – make them lower in fat and calories this year.  Substitute low fat sour cream or mayo for full fat versions.   Use applesauce as a baking substitute for up to half the oil in a recipe.
  • Use healthier whole wheat flour instead of white flour.
  • Use 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder as a baking substitute for every one ounce of unsweetened chocolate.
  • Replace the cream in recipes with evaporated skim milk aka nonfat evaporated milk.
  • Make up for using less sugar by adding flavor with vanilla extract or lemon zest.
  • Substitute just the egg whites for whole eggs or use an egg substitute.
  • Skip the top crust when making pies and use fresh or frozen berries rather than canned filling.
  • Sprinkle cookies, brownies, or cakes with a little cinnamon, cocoa powder, or powdered sugar in place of frosting.
  • Make portions smaller – bite sized versions or cut your treat into smaller portions right out of the pan and not leave the pan sitting out with “do it yourself” portion options!
  • Use cooking sprays versus oils to sauté
  • Use ½ fruit puree and ½ oil to lower oil in recipes
  • Use white cheeses or 2% milk cheeses in recipes to lower total fat content
  • Use low sodium chicken broth to flavor mashed potatoes versus butter
  • Use low sodium chicken broth in casseroles to have more flavor less fat
  • Make pies with non-fat condensed milk
  • Assess your holiday recipes and see if more fruit, veggies or a whole grain could be added to improve it’s nutrition

INSPIRE OTHERS TO BRING HEALTHY TREATS TO A PARTY:  that way everyone wins and the main battle is portion control!  Have smaller plates for your buffet – less space might change the amount one piles on.  Inspire movement at your party – dance contests with the kids, move chairs out of the main rooms to inspire movement, consider getting the party to go sledding if there are kids involved or playing outside with the kids.  Even a Pictionary game gets folks up and moving.  Move the appetizers to containers and put them away once dinner is almost ready to put out…you can save your guests from overindulging.  Do not over do it on the food and make too much.  Offer more healthy options with fiber and nutrients on your buffet.   DON’T FORGET TO HAVE FUN!!!

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