How to Survive the Holidays on a Diet

Guide Note: How to Survive the Holidays on a Diet offers tips, tricks and advice on how to get through the holidays without sacrificing your weight loss goals.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

  • The holidays have a way of tripping up even the most successful of dieters. As Dr. Edward Abramson explains, the holidays mark a time of year in which overeating is "socially-sanctioned" and even expected. Fortunately, it's not as hard as you think to make it to New Year's Day guilt-free. With a little pre-planning and a commitment to moderation, the holidays needn't sabotage your weight loss goals.

Before You Begin

Christmas is about more than just food. (Creative Commons photo by Dave Cooper)
Christmas is about more than just food. (Creative Commons photo by Dave Cooper)
  • A minor holiday indulgence or two won't derail your weight loss goals. Using these indulgences as an excuse to binge well into the new year will. So, it's important to keep things in perspective. Here's how:
  1. Be Realistic: Don't set yourself up to fail. Shift your goal from weight loss to weight maintenance during the holidays.
  2. Broaden Your Horizons: The holidays are about more than just food. They're about family, community and gratitude. A well-stuffed turkey or honey-baked ham, while nice, isn't what's going to leave you feeling the most fulfilled.
  3. Manage Stress: Stress is one of the main reasons people overeat during the holidays. There is stress related to organizing parties, gift-giving and interacting with family members. Relieve stress by planning ahead and keeping your expectations of the holidays in check.

Step 1: Make a Game Plan

  • Dieting through the holidays doesn't have to leave you feeling deprived. With a little pre-planning, you can have a healthy and happy holiday dinner.
Shift from weight loss to weight maintenance during the holidays. (Photo by Laura Nubuck)
Shift from weight loss to weight maintenance during the holidays. (Photo by Laura Nubuck)
  1. Visualize: Think about what you're going to eat before the big dinner or party arrives. If you can't resist a huge slice of pumpkin pie, what will you cut back on to compensate for it? What will your plate look like? What will leave you feeling satisfied?
  2. Bring a Dish: If you're not preparing the meal yourself, ask your host if it would be all right to bring a dish that meets your dietary needs. Consider bringing a sugar-free or low-carb dessert.
  3. Buddy Up: Talk to a fellow dieter before Christmas dinner or the office holiday party. Plan to give each other moral support throughout the festivities.
  4. Ask for Help: Let your close family members, friends and the host know that you're dieting. Most people will be respectful of your needs and not pressure you into eating seconds.
  5. Wear Snug Clothing: Choose a snug pair of jeans over comfy sweatpants for your dinner or party attire. Once you start feeling the pinch of your waistline, you'll definitely stop eating.

Step 2: Control Your Portions

  • Now that you have a reasonable set of expectations in place and a buddy or two lined up, it's time to hit the buffet. If all else fails, just remember - everything in moderation.
Water is a dieter's best friend. (Creative Commons photo by Taras Kalapun)
Water is a dieter's best friend. (Creative Commons photo by Taras Kalapun)
  1. Drink Plenty of Water: Water helps control your appetite by making you feel fuller faster.
  2. Eat Slowly: It takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that you're full. So, savor your food, drink lots of water and slow down. Give your mind a chance to catch up with your body.
  3. Eat Before the Party Starts: Don't go to dinner starving. Eat a healthy breakfast and a low calorie snack before hitting the buffet. You're less likely to overeat if you've got your appetite under control.
  4. Eat the Special Stuff: Don't blow your precious calories on large portions of food you can eat everyday. Fill your plate with smaller portions of your holiday favorites.
  5. No Seconds: If you eat slowly and drink plenty of water with your meal, you shouldn't feel the need to go for seconds. If you're being pressured by your host to take seconds, politely say, "No."
  6. Avoid Finger Foods: Hor d'oeurves can be high in calories and fat. With the exception of crudité, don't eat anything that doesn't require a knife and fork.
  7. Survey the Buffet: Before diving head first into the buffet, give it a once-over. What items will make a satisfying and healthy dinner? What indulgences will you allow yourself? Dr. Brian Wansink advises limiting variety as it stimulates the appetite. Only take two items at a time. Don't put 20 different items on your plate at once.
    Everything in moderation. (Photo by Monika Zillekens)
    Everything in moderation. (Photo by Monika Zillekens)
  8. Stop When You're Full: It sounds obvious, but stopping when you're full is probably one of the harder things to do at a party when everyone else is helping themselves to seconds. It will be easier to stop if you slow down, drink water, wear snug pants and push away from the table when you're done.
  9. Drink Alcohol in Moderation: Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which makes it that much easier to justify a third helping of marshmallow-encrusted yams.
  10. Make Healthy Choices: Fortunately, many holiday mainstays fit into a healthy diet. Turkey is a great source of protein, and sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A. Just choose wisely. Eat white turkey meat rather than the dark stuff, which contains twice as much fat. If you're preparing the meal, cut back on salt and butter in the side dishes.
  11. Say No: Some people show their love through food. Others may feel threatened by your diet and pile food onto your plate because it makes them feel better about themselves. What you put in your body is your business. Rehearse politely saying "no" in your head. If you've let your hosts know that you're on a diet, they shouldn't take offense at your abstaining from another round of gravy-soaked mashed potatoes.

Step 3: Get Active

  • Staying active will keep you from veering off the weight loss track, and it can be great way to bond with your loved ones.
Do something active with your family. (Photo by Cheryl Empey)
Do something active with your family. (Photo by Cheryl Empey)
  1. Take a Walk: Instead of crashing in front of the TV after dinner, try going for a walk. Make it a quiet affair with just you and someone you love. In addition to burning calories, you'll be giving yourself a reprieve from holiday-related stress.
  2. Stay on Schedule: If you already maintain a fitness schedule, don't let the holidays derail it.
  3. Start a New Tradition: Get the whole family involved. Go on a hike, play tennis, learn a new dance or take a walk. Give the kids some disposable cameras and make it a photo outing.
  4. Don't Use Exercise as an Excuse to Indulge: Don't reward your good work-out habits with an extra helping of pie and a bottle of Chardonnay. Dr. Kelly Brownell cautions, "A 145-pound woman has to run a mile at 6 mph to burn 116 calories, but she can eat 116 calories in under a second."

Conclusion

  • Dieting through the holidays doesn't have to be chore. Make good choices, eat in moderation and keep moving. And, don't forget that the holidays are about more than mashed potatoes. They're about community, gratitude and all the other warm, fuzzy things that stay with us after the leftovers have disappeared. Have a happy and healthy holiday!

Resources

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