The majority of people find themselves carrying additional
fat once the holidays are over. Worst of all, most of them
never lose this extra weight. Over the years, few pounds
gained over the holidays here and there add up to 10, 20,
30 pounds of excess fat!
To avoid falling into the holiday fat trap, follow these
simple tips:
1. Don’t deprive yourself. Munching on a green salad
while everyone is feasting on turkey and stuffing is just
not worth it. You will end up miserable, and chances are
you’ll binge at home or on the next party. Depriving
yourself once is likely to cause you to eat everything in
sight the next day to “compensate” for your suffering.
2. Don’t stuff yourself. You are not a turkey, after all! 🙂
Remember, this is not the last time in your life that
you can eat.
3. Eat a small meal several hours before the party. This
will prevent you from being too hungry when faced with
abundant menu. When you are not starving, you can think
with your brain, and not with your stomach.
4. Eat slowly. It takes our body about 20 minutes to
realize that we are full. Also, the slower you eat, the
less food you’ll eat as opposed to eating fast in the same
amount of time.
5. Be aware of what you are eating. It’s easy to get
carried away in conversation, and eat way too much before
you know it. Don’t automatically go for more helpings
while you are talking to someone.
6. If you are cooking the food, prepare healthier versions
of traditional dishes. Don’t go too far by trying to
completely cut out the fat. Just make some slight changes
such as mashing potatoes with low-fat milk, adding less
butter to the food, and serving more salads and veggies.
Or make the stuffing in a casserole dish outside of turkey,
so it does not soak up the extra fat.
7. Deal with the food-pushing hosts by complimenting them.
When they try to force more food on you, smile. Say how
much you love their food, but unfortunately you are so
full, you can’t get in another bite. And that you’ll be
delighted if they gave you some of this food to take home,
if there is anything left after the party!
8. Choose the turkey breast meat, since it has fewer
calories then dark meat. Also, most of the fat in a turkey
is contained in the skin. So, if you can, don’t eat the
skin. Skinless turkey breast is actually a healthy choice.
But go easy on a fat-laden gravy!
9. Eat small amounts of various foods, as opposed to large
portions of few foods. Sampling everything on the menu
will leave you more satisfied since you’ve tried everything
there is. But remember, moderation is key.
10. Eat that dessert. The trick here is to eat a small
piece of it. This way you can have your cake and eat it
too!
