Thanksgiving,
Christmas and New Year’s are just three days out of 365. But unabashedly
enjoying the season’s treats from now until those resolutions kick in could
wreak havoc on your health habits.
In honor of the “12 Days of
Christmas,” the Franciscan St.Francis Weight Loss Center offers a dozen ways to watch your waistline while still enjoying the holiday
season:
1. Take the focus off
food. Instead of baking cookies with your
children, create non-edible projects like wreaths, dough art decorations or a
gingerbread house.
2. Plan to maintain your weight over
the holidays. Decide which treat is worth the calories, take a smaller portion,
and savor every single bite.
3. Think ahead to
make mealtimes less hurried. On a cold, wintery night, few things say comfort
like a bowl of hot soup, paired with crusty, whole-grain bread. Start a pot
simmering on the stove or in the slow cooker while you spend the day decorating
the tree, addressing cards or doing any other holiday preparations. Add a piece
of fruit and a cup of milk, and you have a well-balanced meal.
4. Experiment with
seasonal produce to lighten up your meals. Consider chutneys as an
accompaniment to meats, slices of pears or oranges in your salad, cranberries
or dried fruits in rice pilaf, or apple sauce substituted for some of the fats
in your baking. A little creativity can go a long way toward heightening taste
and sneaking in your produce needs in your diet.
5. Plan for parties. Don’t starve
yourself the day of the party so you can fill up on food that evening. If you
eat normally throughout the day, you’re much less likely to overeat at the
party.
6. Lighten up. Substitute spices and
fresh herbs for seasoning rather than fat and salt.
7. Make exercise time play time. Enjoy
an afternoon of football, sledding, ice skating or playing in the snow. Or even
enjoy the holiday lights while taking a long evening walk.
8. Discover different dips. Who says
dips have to be high-fat and joined by chips? Replace cream cheese with silken
tofu, or experiment with dips made with nonfat cream cheese or sour cream. Pair
with vegetable spears or baked pita chips.
9. Watch your appetizers. Limit
high-fat choices such as fried chicken wings, miniature sausages and most
cheeses. Choose fruits and vegetables instead.
10. Enjoy the mall. While shopping,
stretch your legs and squeeze in some exercise in a warm, dry environment.
11. Be a happy host. Balance your
famous cookies with healthier options. Grab a fruit or vegetable tray from the
store. Be sure to send your leftovers home with guests.
12. Have a healthy holiday spirit.
Cocktails, “real” eggnog and other holiday drinks quickly add up in calories.
Alternatives include sparkling or hot apple cider, light eggnog or seltzer
mixed with fruit juices.
With a little creativity,
you can start the new year without quite as many pounds to lose come Jan. 1 –
and might just find a new tradition in the process.
