How To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain - Tips And Strategies

Around the world, holidays are a time of celebration and include many types of traditional food

, including eggnog, meats, pies and other special desserts. Although this food is delicious and enjoyed by many people, a large amount of these meals are also unhealthy and extremely fattening. Just one holiday meal can add up to thousands of calories. To avoid holiday weight gain, it is important to follow a few tips and strategies.

First, it is important to understand that many holiday food recipes are often passed down through generations and are made with ingredients that include heavy cream, butter, sugar, oil and other fattening ingredients. Historically, many cultures would include these ingredients to signify the approaching of winter, a time when the extra fat helped to protect them against the possibility of hunger. Today, food is abundant year round and there is no need to feast like our ancestors. However, because there are so many special foods available during the fall and winter season, many people indulge in extra helpings and end up overeating, which can lead to holiday weight gain and even obesity.

The first tip for avoiding holiday weight gain is to plan ahead. If you are going to be attending a holiday party, eat sensibly the rest of the day with healthy meals and snacks. Try not to arrive at the party hungry, which will just encourage impulse eating. Instead, save some of your daily calorie intake to use at the party and allow yourself a special holiday treat, such as eggnog or a dessert. Next, use portion control to avoid overeating. Eat a small serving of those fattening items that you just cannot miss out on at a holiday party rather than a full serving of each one. In addition, limit yourself to how many foods you eat. Instead of eating two types of pie, choose just one. Finally, avoid extra helpings. Take just one trip to the dessert table instead of two or more.

If you are unsure whether or not your favorite holiday treat is fattening, log on to the Internet and visit a recipe website. Many of these places will list common holiday foods along with the average calorie and fat levels. While this will not give you exact numbers, it should give you an idea of how healthy unhealthy a particular item is and whether or not you should indulge at your next holiday gathering.

by: Tad Kumagai

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