Well, it’s Christmas Eve and many of us are either prepping large meals for tonight and/or tomorrow or at least preparing to eat those large meals. The holiday season can ruin the wasteline if you are not careful. Here are some easy ways to keep your calories in check, but still enjoy your favorite holiday foods.
1. Get moving: find sometime in the day for a workout. This will help you burn off some calories ahead of time.
2. Only take the amount of food your stomach can hold. Do you really think two plateful’s of food fit in your stomach?
3. Taste all your favorite foods. Enjoy a few bites and move on.
4. Enjoy the time with your family and friends. Engage in conversation and put that fork down when you talk!
5. Take you time. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to get the message to your brain that you are full. Why rush?
6. Do you really love every food available on the table? Why eat something you really do not enjoy. Only choose to put on your plate the food you really love. It’s a good rule of thumb at a buffet to survey the table first to see what there is you really want instead of filling your plate right away.
7. Beware of drinks. Liquid calories go down really easy, do not fill you up, and add up in calories. Enjoy alcoholic beverages in moderation. (Drink one glass of wine, not the whole bottle!)
8. Fill half of your plate with vegetables, 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch (not much room for stuffing, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes is there?)
9. Beware of cranberry sauce and gravy. These wonderful additions can add lots of calories. Good easy.
10. Finally dessert. Too many delicious choices? Don’t have a slice of each pie on the table. Have a taste of each or only take a whole piece of the dessert you love the most. ( I will be having pecan pie with vanilla ice cream thank you!)
