Fighting the Holiday Pounds

Avoiding weight gain during the holidays can be tough, but not impossible. Dr John is here with tips on just how to do that.
We made it through the thanksgiving meal without putting on too much weight, but still have a long holiday season to go.

But by planning ahead, you can avoid both piling on the pounds, and having to make a new years resolution to get rid of them.

To help out, here are some tips you can use both before and during any party you attend.

Number one---make sure you don’t go to a party hungry. Not eating all day so you can pig out at the party only causes you to eat more than you planned. So, eat a healthy snack before heading out the door.

If you bring a dish to a party, make it a healthy one, like a salad or veggie tray. That’ll make sure you have at least one “good for you” thing to pick from.

At the party, survey all the food choices first, so you can decide early on which ones to pick and which ones to avoid. And watch out for those hidden calories. Alcohol drinks are calorie heavy, plus they increase your appetite, making you eat more than you normally would.

After you get your plate filled up, sit down to eat. We all tend to eat more when we stand and eat. Picking a chair far from the food table also makes it less likely you’ll reach over and grab more food when you’re done.

But this holiday season, the most important thing is to stay realistic. This isn’t a good time to try and loose weight, you’ll only get frustrated. Instead concentrate on maintaining your current weight, while having fun going from holiday party to holiday party.