How to Party Down the Pounds

The holiday season is right around the corner, and this is the time for special-occasion eating and feared weight gain. If you feel anxious about how to stay on track with your “good eating intentions,” you are not alone. Take a deep breath and relax; the holidays do not need to lead to a weight gain disaster.

From Halloween through New Years, the average weight gain among Americans is five to eight pounds. To avoid this extra weight gain during the holidays, you should focus on the following two goals: 1) weight maintenance, and 2) moderation in eating and drinking. This doesn’t mean you have to feel deprived at a party, or that you need to leave the party feeling hungry. Your focus should be on developing an attitude-change so that you will have healthier eating habits throughout the year. It is important to give yourself permission to eat in moderation all year long, so that at a party you will not over indulge in the foods that you have restricted yourself from eating. When food is not your focus, you will feel emotionally free.

One way to change your attitude is to look at events as a social function; primarily for social interaction and not for eating and drinking. You need to get the focus off of the food and on to the friendships around you and the fun atmosphere. At parties where there is music, you can even get exercise by kicking up your heels and dancing.

Many people feel that most holiday parties offer only non-nutritious foods. Well, here are some tips to allow you to enjoy yourself and keep the pounds off:

• Prepare a healthy food that you like and can nibble on at the party. This could include:
  • Salsa and bean dip with low fat tortilla chips
  • Grilled or baked chicken wings with a low fat dip
  • Low-fat vanilla yogurt with chunks of fresh fruit
  • Baked pita chips with hummus
  • Assorted veggies and low fat dip
• Fill up on the healthiest foods, and select smaller portions of the less healthy foods.
• Avoid thinking about the food during the party, and focus on the people.
• Don’t stand by the food table; move around the room, and focus on conversation and the ambiance.
• Start with a lower-calorie drink to help you fill up, and then have something that has a few more calories.
• Be aware that alcohol increases appetite and lowers inhibitions. This could cause you to drink more and make poor choices in your food selection.

Do not give up your control over food and alcohol consumption, because then your weight may increase. You are in control of your lifestyle, and with a little advance planning you can sail through the holidays without tipping the scales upward.

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• Tip of the Month

  January 2012

  Smart Starbucks and Steakhouse Choices

  Starbucks Choices
  • Peppermint Choc Mocha- 520cals, 20g fat
  • Pumpkin Frappuccino- 420cals, 13g fat
  • Flavored Latte- 360clas, 16g fat
  • Latte- 220cals, 15g fat
  • Coffee w/cream and sugar 180 calories
  • Cappuccino- 120cals, 4g fat
  • Coffee w/sugar 90 calories
  • Coffee w/cream 90 calories
  • Coffee w/whole milk 60 calories
  • Coffee w/skim milk 30-50 calories

  Order a coffee with cream and sugar every work day?  Add 900 calories per week to your diet.  That is over 13 pounds in one year.

  Enjoy a cappuccino every day instead, and you save 300 calories per week, and cut 4 pounds per year from the above diet.

  Go to coffee with skim milk and Splenda?  Now you are only adding 250 calories per week, and under 4 pounds per year in coffee weight.

  Enjoy a flavored frappucino or latte once per week?  That could add up to 26,000 calories, and another 7.5 pounds per year.

  Just your coffee could account for 20 pounds of caloric intake annually!

  Steakhouse Choices
  • Caesars Salad- 800cals
  • Chopped Salad, 320cals
  • Spinach Salad, 170cals click here for more »

  click here to read past tips

• Recipe of the Month

  January 2012

  Drink alcohol a little more wisely!

  Drink Choices
  • Eggnog, 350cals
  • White Russian, 260cals
  • Riesling, 160-200cals
  • Shot of liquor, 70-125cals
  • Tonic or Soda, 100cals
  • Winter Beer, 150-200cals
  • Beer, 150cals
  • Bloody Mary, 130cals
  • Wine, 120cals
  • Light Beer, 55-85cals
  • Champagne, 85cals
  Enjoy a small glass of eggnog and two gin and tonics, and you have drank 750 worthless calories.
  Or, start with some champagne, and enjoy two glasses of wine and you only have drank 330 calories, less than half of your first choices.