The holidays are filled with festive parties and lots of fancy food to tempt even the most disciplined eater, and research shows that most people will gain some weight during the season.
But there are ways to ward off those sweet temptations and keep the extra pounds at bay.
“Everyone wants to indulge in the special treats and traditions, so it truly comes down to planning,” said Teresa Eury, MPH, RDN, LDN, a clinical dietitian with Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. “It’s important to eat balanced meals every day, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, or four to six small balanced meals throughout the day. [When you have sufficient nutritious food] … in the body you simply don’t need as many treats. Don’t skip meals because your body will crave more sweets and carbohydrates later.”
Eury offered these tips on navigating the dietary obstacles you will likely face this month:
Plan ahead: Eat a small serving of protein or fiber and drink plenty of water prior to going to a party so you won’t be as hungry when you arrive.
Position yourself away from the buffet: When engaging in conversations position yourself as far away from the buffet as possible as it’s easy to snack mindlessly if the food is within reach.
Remember that conversation is calorie-free!
Assess your food choices: When it is time to eat, assess the food choices and be aware of the options available making mindful choices. Fruits and vegetables will fill you up faster than traditional snack foods and not exceed your calorie intake.
Use small plates: Serving sizes are limited by the size of the plate so be sure to select the smallest plate available. Fill it up with healthy proteins, fruits and vegetables before you peruse the desserts.
Think color: Make your plate look festive with a rainbow of healthy fruits and vegetables.
Eat slowly: It takes at least 20 minutes for your brain to realize you are full. When you do treat yourself to a treat slow down and savor a small serving.
Choose drinks wisely: Stick to calorie-free drinks like water, tea or seltzer. If you do choose to have an alcoholic beverage, vodka infused with flavors or light mixers is a good choice. Drink water and give yourself an hour between each alcoholic beverage. Make sure you have food in your stomach because it controls how quickly alcohol gets into your bloodstream.
Get moving: Just an extra 500 calories a day can pack on a pound in a week, so increase your exercise by 15 or 20 minutes a day to compensate for those extra calories. Don’t deprive yourself of a sweet holiday treat but have a plan to make up for it later by reducing your caloric intake or burning a few extra calories with exercise.
Eating isn’t the only thing you need to be conscious of during the holidays. According to Eury, maintaining good sleep hygiene is also critical.
“Adults need 7-to-9 hours of sleep each night and no matter what you are doing you should try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day,” Eury explained. “When we don’t get enough sleep our levels of ghrelin (the hunger hormone) increase, and the more it increases the hungrier we feel.”
Sleep also affects the leptin hormone that helps to regulate body weight. When stressed, the body releases leptin and increased leptin is associated with increased consumption of comfort foods. By getting good sleep hygiene you can better regulate your weight because your hormone levels will be controlled.
“Limit refined carbs,” Eury advised. “When glucose levels rise in your body it triggers a decrease in a hormone called Orexin which regulates appetite. When your levels go high because you had an increase in your glucose level, your orexin level decreases and you become sleepier. Your energy levels are depleted, and to keep the energy level up you eat more food that is high in refined carbohydrates. It’s a vicious cycle.
“Try to eat complex carbs like whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables and fibrous foods. That way your energy level will be available to get your holiday shopping done, meals prepared and still have a reserve for the festivities.”
Above all, don’t beat yourself up if you overindulge. Just relax, take a deep breath and tell yourself that the next meal is back to your regularly scheduled program. Even if the scale shows a slight weight gain, it’s often more water weight than fat gain.
Eury received her Master of Public Health, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and completed her internship in Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services at the University of Colorado. She works at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital as an in-patient dietitian who only attends to patients who are admitted to the hospital and follows them until they are released. If you would like to consult with a nutritionist about your dietary needs, ask your primary care physician for a referral.
