10 Strategies to Stay Thin Throughout the Holidays!

1. Get enough sleep. Our bodies store more calories as fat when we’re sleep deprived. When we are tired, we turn to food as comfort, consuming more calories than when we’re well rested.
2. Don’t skip meals.  It not only slows down your metabolism, If you skip meals, you’ll be hungrier and more likely to overindulge later in the day. Eat healthy, balanced meals and protein-based snacks and you’ll find it easier to stay in control.
3. Plan ahead. When going to a dinner party, call ahead to find out what foods will be served so you can plan your strategy. Offer to bring a healthy, delicious side dish you know you can enjoy without guilt. Skip the carby sauces, glazes and gravies.   At buffets, only put a healthy portion on your plate with good choices and stay away from the buffet.  No more trips.  Keep a calorie-free beverage near you the whole time.
4. If you start to feel out of control, breathe and even step away and relax.  Remind yourself that you are in control of your choices. Think about the benefits of making healthier choices, and pay attention to why you’re eating. Are you really hungry, or are you tired, angry, or bored?
5. Be sure to drink at least eight glasses of water every day. We often think we’re hungry when we’re actually thirsty. Water cleanses your system, curbs appetite, and reduces fluid retention. Drinking water can also increase your energy level.  The dehydration that occurs when you don’t consume enough fluid can cause you to feel less energetic and become more easily fatigued.
6. Avoid or limit alcoholic beverages. Besides being high in calories, alcohol tends to trigger carbohydrate cravings and hunger, and can diminish your resolve to stick to your eating plan. Alcohol also interferes with your body’s ability to burn stored fat for fuel. Stick with calorie-free soda or mineral water with a slice of lemon and you’ll save yourself hundreds of empty calories. If you do indulge, mix alcohol with something calorie-free such as water, diet soda or tonic, or sparkling water.
7. Avoid  the temptation to have “just one bite.” For many of us, it’s easier to avoid certain foods entirely than to try to eat them in moderation. We all know what our “trigger foods” are, so watch out.
8. Stay away from buffets and party platters. Out of sight doesn’t necessarily mean out of mind, but it’s a lot easier to resist those high-calories hors d’oeuvres and holiday sweets when they’re across the room.
9. Move your body! Plan to take a brisk 10-15 minute walk three times a day—you’ll burn calories, reduce stress, and feel great. Wear a pedometer and see how many steps you can log in a day.  Maybe joining a walking club will motivate you.
10. Give yourself permission to stress less and do less.  One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves  this time of year is the permission to slow down and focus on those things  that really give us the greatest joy. Decide which traditions have the  greatest meaning to you and your family and ask whether the way you spend  time and money aligns with those values. Take a deep breath and let the deeper meaning of the holidays  into your heart.