Here comes Halloween… and the start of the “season of
feasting” for a lot of folks around here.
It’s become a sort of time-honored “tradition” for Americans
to put on weight between Halloween and New Year’s Day. Some
would even say it’s to be expected — “After all, it’s the
holidays!”, they say.
Now, I love the holidays. And I bet you do too. Who
wouldn’t love all the great treats and wonderful foods that
just seem to spring up around us during the holiday season,
right?
But don’t you just hate it when you step on the scales after
the holidays, and discover you’ve put on weight?
Fret not, for I’m here to show you how you can have fun
during the holidays and enjoy all your favorite holiday
treats, _without_ putting on any extra pounds.
Here are 7 Simple Weight Loss Feasting Tips for the Holiday
Season…
1. Give yourself permission – Go ahead and eat anything you
want during the holiday season. Halloween, Christmas, New
Year’s, it doesn’t matter. Yes, you can have all your
favorite foods. Isn’t it refreshing to know that you don’t
have to abstain from your perennial favorites? You see, we
tend to want more of what we cannot have. The more you try
to stop yourself from eating something, the more you want to
eat it. And when you do give in to the temptation, you’ll
tend to overeat. Here’s the secret: It’s not “all or
nothing”. Have anything you want, as long as you remember
not to go overboard and consume too much.
2. Be clear of your goals – There must be a reason why you
want to keep your weight down. If you don’t already have a
reason, now’s the time to sit down and think of as many as
possible. This step is critical if you want to be able to
enjoy your holidays and maintain your weight throughout.
You need to be crystal-clear about your “Why”. Why do you
want to lose weight? How would you feel if you end up
putting on weight? Conversely, how would you feel if you
can go through the holidays and yet maintain your current
weight? Think about these questions carefully, and build up
your arsenal of “reasons why”. The next time you are
tempted to overeat, recall these reasons again and they’ll
help you to stay in control.
3. Have a little of everything – Remember how it’s not “all
or nothing”? The secret to enjoying all the great food
without the subsequent guilt is to have a little of
everything. Just remember to control your serving portion
sizes. You have permission to eat all kinds of food, but
this doesn’t mean you can go out there and devour extra-
large portions of everything with super-generous gravy
toppings, ok?
4. Be careful of the little nibbles – Sometimes, it’s not
the big-time party or pig-out feasting session that causes
you to gain weight. On the contrary, it’s exactly the
opposite — it’s the little candy and chocolate bar that you
pick up to nibble on, everything time you open the fridge or
walk past the office candy bowl. All these little snacks in
between meal times can (and will!) add up to a lot of extra
calories. This sneaky little problem is something that has
caught many women off-guard. And now that you know this,
it’s easy to catch yourself in the act the next time it
happens to you!
5. Be smart – They’re certainly trying, but don’t be fooled
by the retailers and their fancy packaging and labels. Have
you noticed a lot of the packaging now screams out phrases
such “fewer calories”, “low fat”, “less sugar”, “low carb”
and etc? Whilst all these claims are true, it does NOT mean
you can eat more and have bigger portions. Remember:
“fewer/low/less” doesn’t mean “Zero/None/Without”. Also,
it’s pretty usual that when something comes with less of one
thing, it has more of the other stuff e.g. lower carb, but
more calories.
6. Use the healthier versions – Many of the sweets and
treats offer you a choice of healthier versions. So when
you can, please do opt for the low-calorie, reduced sugar,
or lower fat varieties.
7. Choose the right chocolate – And if you must have
chocolate, please go for dark chocolate and avoid the milk
chocolate. By far, dark chocolate is the best choice as it
has antioxidant properties that can protect the body from
damaging oxidative stress. So there you have it, consuming
a moderate amount of dark chocolates is actually healthy for
you!
So, who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?
Copyright 2005 Tracy Lee
Tracy Lee is the owner of the “Weight Loss for Women Over 40” site. Get the latest news, tips & tricks that can help women over 40 to lose weight safely and permanently, and your complimentary copy of our Special Report “9 Little-Known Insider Weight Loss Secrets To Help Women Over 40 Make Those Extra Pounds Disappear” instantly here:
[http://www.weight-loss-for-women-over-40.com/insidersecrets/]
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