Eat (Less), Drink (Occasionally) & Be Merry
Six Tips for Making This Your Holiday Mantra
By Dr. Lavinia Rodrigues

While food abounds, so does stress. Temptation after temptation causes many to fall off the (fitness) wagon during this merriest of seasons.

When we think about the holiday season, it conjures up images of twinkling lights, perfectly wrapped presents, and tables laden with the most delicious holiday dishes. It’s also a time when most people toss their healthy eating habits to the wayside. By the time the New Year rolls around, the gifts we’ve received aren’t the only things we’ve gained.

In fact, it’s become such a common occurrence that the annual holiday weight gain of five to seven pounds is just accepted by most of us. We shrug it off and make resolutions to exercise more and eat better. But it’s a bigger problem than we think—and making a few simple tweaks to our normal routine can make a world of difference.

If we want to get through the holidays without feeling like we’ve totally failed again, making a conscious decision about our lifestyle is the first step.

This volatile combination of food and stress can easily snowball into feelings of guilt which only perpetuates the cycle and causes us to feel more out of control. By approaching the holiday season with an awareness of its temptations but also arming ourselves with a plan to combat these, we’ll be able to truly enjoy the season.

Read on for six tricks that will help avoid packing on the pounds this holiday season:

Don’t let worry about weight gain turn into guilt. It shouldn’t be simply weight gain people concern themselves with. The feelings and situations that cause overeating should be our main focus. If we stop thinking so much about gaining weight and start focusing on the feelings that lead to the behavior, we’ll finally be able to stop the cycle.

If we’re obsessing over weight gain, these feelings will ultimately make us more anxious and stressed, which are appetite stimulants. Getting in touch with our feelings and recognizing what guilt feels like will help us reason through the situation and eat to feel satisfied, not stuffed.

Have a pre-party plan. Recognizing our love of honey-glazed ham and dressing is the first step to waistline recovery! Approaching the holidays with a renewed awareness of our tendency to overindulge is paramount in stopping this behavior. Behaviors don’t change on their own; it’s got to be by design.

Simple tricks like drinking water and eating before the party allow us to make the event more about socializing than snacking. Having this game plan in place helps mitigate risk and thwart unwanted holiday weight gain.

Don’t use the holidays as an excuse to overeat. Many of us think, “What the heck, it’s the holidays. I might as well just enjoy myself and worry about my battle of the bulge in 2011”. But the best time to start weight maintenance is not after the holidays—it’s now!

Don’t sabotage a lifestyle by binging on holiday goodies and then suffering the consequences in the New Year. By staying focused and aware of our environment and feelings, we’ll be on the right track to maintaining our healthy lifestyle.

Focus on your friends and family—not the food. When we walk into our company’s holiday party or our daughter’s dance recital, don’t hone in on the snack table. While the hors d’oeuvres table might be crowded with treats and people, focus on socializing with friends and family instead of on the food. Remember, conversation is calorie-free!

There are so many activities during the season that food doesn’t have to be our main focus. When going to holiday gatherings, slow down and enjoy the atmosphere and then think about eating. Most people will already be on their second (or third!) plate, and we’ll still be on track with our healthy lifestyle.

Pick what you want. Seeing all the holiday goodies and knowing we’re not supposed to have any is about as tempting as temptations get. Try the one-a-day approach of indulging in one goodie each day. And don’t be fooled by the hidden dangers of liquid calories. Those pumpkin spice lattes are just as calorie-ridden as an actual slice of pumpkin pie!

Allow yourself to select foods you like the most and skip foods you can have any other time of the year. Taking the time to savor every bite in a relaxed manner will make those goodies taste so much better, and you’ll feel satisfied more quickly and eat less! Meals are a time to enjoy, not a race to see who can finish the fastest!

Welcome the winter wonderland. Think of all the fun winter activities we used to do as a kid—sledding, skiing, and ice skating, just to name a few. Who says we have to stop enjoying winter just because we’re an adult? Plan a weekend ski trip with your girlfriends or go caroling in your neighborhood. The options are endless for winter fun.

Winter has a lot of special activities that we’re not able to do year-round. Think of all the winter traditions you can start or continue with your family and friends just by finding ways to have fun outside. If you’re having fun, it doesn’t feel like you’re exercising.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle shouldn’t get in the way of the excitement and joy of the holidays. Simply being aware of the season’s many temptations can increase our weight loss odds. At the end of the day, it’s the time spent enjoying the holidays that really matters.

Dr. Lavinia Rodriguez, author of, “Mind Over Fat Matters: Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management”, is a clinical psychologist and expert trained in treating eating issues and weight problems. Visit: www.FatMatters.com