5 Ways to Avoid Getting Fat During the Holidays

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The holidays are a time for delicious foods, drinks and desserts. While it’s okay to indulge a little…if you want to avoid a whole lot of weight gain, you need to be sensible about what you’re eating and how much you’re eating. The primary focus should definitely be on the latter of the two – how MUCH you’re eating (and drinking for that matter).

1. Eat a healthy snack prior to holiday meals. Eating an apple, some carrot sticks or even drinking some water can help you eat less at meal time because you won’t feel so hungry.
2. Control portion sizes. It’s okay to sample everything at the buffet table, but it should just be that – samples. Take a small helping of all the foods you’d like to eat.
3. Eat slowly. If you eat slowly, you’ll give yourself a chance to feel full, rather then jamming food down your throat real fast and then feeling like you’re gonna puke afterwards because you’re so full.
4. Limit alcohol intake. One beer, glass of wine or 1 ounce of liquor is one serving size. Alocholic drinks are filled with empty calories that can quickly add weight to your frame. On average, each alcoholic beverage contains at least 150 calories, with the sugary drinks having many more.
5. Workout extra hard to make up for any excess calories taken in – specifically cardio. Don’t fall off track with your workouts just because it’s the holiday season. Workout as regularly as you can and go for longer cardio workouts to burn off the extra calories.

The holidays are a time to indulge, but that doesn’t mean you have to eat so much that you gain weight. I’ve heard that the average number of pounds people put on between Thanksgiving and New Years is 7. Seven pounds! Even if you set a goal to lose 1 pound per week after that kind of gain, it’s going to take you 7 weeks to work off what you put on in about 4 to 5 weeks time. Wouldn’t it be better to just watch how much food you’re sticking in your mouth so you don’t have to worry about losing the extra weight? I think so! Getting (or staying) in shape isn’t about making excuses, it’s about making smart choices.