It’s halfway through October, which means Halloween is right around the corner, and then BOOM the holiday season has arrived. The holiday season, including Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, always has its tempting treats. We all tend to indulge a bit too much with all the baked goods around us. And with the dropping temperatures outside, your desire to workout suddenly dimenishes. You never realize during the season, but post-holiday season is when you start to notice the extra pounds. Avoid that post-holiday depression with these tips to watch your weight when the holidays roll around.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind.
Halloween candy is a killer temptation. You always think, one piece wont hurt, right? However, the candy bowl sitting on your desk or coffee table ends up turning into 4-5 pieces a day, and at each piece ranging from 70-150 calories, it adds up. Avoid having a candy bowl sitting around during the Halloween season. If you need to fulfill that chocolate craving, limit yourself to one piece a day and don’t leave that tempting bowl full of candy on your desk. Out of sight, out of mind.
Half Baked.
What is always lying around on the table during the holiday season? SWEETS! It’s so easy to snack on cookies or a piece of pie while waiting for the big meal. And once you find your favorite cookie, you will have eaten 10 cookies before you know it. Instead of mindlessly eating a million cookies, break a cookie in half and only eat that half. Eating half of a cookie and fulfilling your cookie desire is better then eating a whole cookie. It is also better to eat half of 5 different kinds of Christmas cookies then 5 whole cookies. Self discipline also might apply here as well.
Smaller Plate.
Most holiday dinners are served buffet style. Therefore, your eyes are always bigger than your stomach. Before walking down the line to fill your plate with all the holiday favorites, grab a smaller plate. A smaller plate will limit your serving size and still allow you to get all your favorites on one plate. At the end of the meal, you won’t be be miserable or regret how much you ate!
Jump on the Scale.
Yeah, we all have a love-hate relationship with our scales. Weighing yourself once a week throughout the holiday season will allow you to keep track of your weight and your intake of food at holiday parties. Noticing that you are gaining weight will give you motivation not to fill your plate at the next buffet. Half the battle of this challenge is getting on the scale first.
Using these tips through the holiday season, including Halloween, will prevent that shock of weight gain come January. Avoid making that New Years resolution of losing all the weight that you gained during the holidays, because there will be no weight to lose in the first place! Other small things to try are healthy snacking throughout the day, continue to always drink water, and chewing gum will help decrease your food intake. Using these healthy tips will result in a rewarding holiday season.