Many people aren’t sad to see swimsuit season go.
I’d be lying if I didn’t find some pleasure in slipping on a sweatshirt after months of worrying about my arms, stomach, etc. Summer can certainly make us unnecessarily body-conscious. Unfortunately, winter can make us too lax and be even less healthy. As animals, we have the instinct to eat more when the weather gets cold. But gorging on calorie-dense holiday food can kill any beach body aspirations before they can even start. Simply put, if you want to be fit come springtime then it’s pivotal to not lose it now. You don’t want to spend all of January on a treadmill because of what you ate in November and December.
Enjoying the holidays is important. You should certainly go out, eat, drink and be merry. But there are some clever ways to navigate a party without adding too much cargo. Follow these tips to successfully attend a holiday party and not gorge.
Come Full
If you only follow one of these tips — let it be this one. Eat before you come to a party, directly before you come. At home you can make yourself a nice, healthy dinner or snack that is much better for you to fill up on. If you go to a party hungry then it doesn’t matter what they are serving — you’ll have to eat it. Often, holiday dinner parties have a few hours of hors d’oeuvres before the meal comes. If you cruise into the fray fresh off a healthy snack you won’t need the bacon-wrapped, chocolate-drizzled, peppermint-dipped finger foods to tide you to dinner. It’s fine if you want to sample one or two on your own accord. But not needing to eat these fat landmines will help you to not blow your calorie count before dinner even starts.
Choose Your Treats
If I’m at a party and there is delicious food, I am going to have some. You should always enjoy yourself. But when you approach a savory spread don’t cast a wide net. Normally, I just choose three things. Having this number in my head makes me be more intentional. If I know I can only have one cookie, then I will choose whichever one looks the absolute best. This helps you to choose the right holiday foods and helps to avoid a little discussed holiday fact — not all the food is really that good. My biggest pet peeve is when packaged cookies or bags of chips make the holiday table beside amazing homemade once-in-a-year treats. If you know you can only pick three things then there’s no way in holiday you’ll shirk a thin slice of rich red velvet cake for a handful of barbeque chips.
Give Some Distance
Do not graze. This is a year-round eating skill. If you sit at the computer and eat crackers out of a box you will eat much more of them than if you’d put a handful on a plate and sat down somewhere else. Eating while you’re distracted makes you eat more, simply because you aren’t paying attention. Never eat directly from the platter. Go to the snack table, put a few things on your plate and leave. If you get caught in conversation beside the table you will begin grazing distractedly and regret it about an hour later. No one’s body is made to run on cocktail sausages.
In general these ideas can be used when navigating parties, social gatherings and networking events year-round. But there is something about holiday cheer (and knowing you get to wear chunky layers) that makes us especially weak for gorging. Everyone should get to indulge a little around her or his favorite seasonal foods, but if you practice a few willful measures you’ll feel merry about your decisions year-round.
About the author: Danielle, who blogs on behalf of Sears and other prestigious brands, enjoys entertaining and socializing as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She has a weakness for new running socks and old family recipes.
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