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How to Cut the Calories (Not the Taste) Out of the Holidays

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Rachel Miller Student Contributor, University of California - Santa Barbara
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Elizabeth Wagmeister Student Contributor, University of California - Santa Barbara
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

With Thanksgiving here, there is one thing on all of our minds—food. During the holidays it is incredibly common to put on a few extra pounds; with the immense amount of holiday cooking, parties, and festivities how could we resist? Not to worry, collegiettes™, you can still gobble up all of this holiday season’s delicious treats and stay trim. Just follow these five simple tricks to cutting out 100 calories from the holidays:

1. Although it is tempting, avoid licking the spoon! A mere spoonful of cookie, cake, and brownie batters can accumulate to over 100 calories. Spend your calories on the finished product instead.

2. Beware of appetizers! Calories in appetizers such as cheese and crackers add up very quickly. Swap out the cheese and crackers for veggies and low-calorie dips and save hundreds of calories (also, use nonfat yogurt instead of mayonnaise or sour cream in veggie dips and save another 100 calories).

3. Omit the extra fat! Eat all of your favorite holiday recipes but cut out the extra tablespoons of butter–with every tablespoon you leave out, you save 100 calories.

4. Make healthier dessert choices! If you don’t like your pie a la mode, pair it with half a cup of chocolate or vanilla sorbet and shave over 100 calories from your dessert. In addition, swap chocolate and caramel sauces for Cool Whip and save 100+ calories.

5. Watch out for caloric beverages! Sip on some Crystal Light Lemonade or an iced tea rather than a syrupy soda or alcoholic beverage and save over 100 calories.

Following these five easy tricks will ensure you a healthy and tasty holiday season, as well as leaving you with an fit bikini bod…because let’s be honest, there’s no such thing as “winter” in Santa Barbara.

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Rachel Miller

UCSB

Rachel is a senior at UC Santa Barbara and studies Communication and Global Peace and Security. Rachel is from a small, beautiful town in southern California called Palos Verdes. However, Palos Verdes is just one of the many places Rachel has lived. Rachel spent her childhood moving and traveling all over the world, living in places such as Indianapolis, Indiana; Santiago, Chile; Vienna, Austria; and Orlando, Florida. Rachel has found her heart and her home in California, choosing to spend her college years in sunny Santa Barbara. However, Rachel continued her wanderlust when she studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain in Fall 2012. At UCSB, Rachel is an immensely dedicated and involved member of her sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma, where she held the positions of Panhellenic Delegate, Inter-Greek Counselor, Rho Gam, and a member of the Nominating Slate. Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is a passion of Rachel's, as she is their Social Media Coordinator as well as an active and proud member. As a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honors Society, Rachel is able to implement her prowess and affinity for communication and communication-related issues. When Rachel is not writing, participating in Kappa events, or volunteering, you can find her in the gym, on the soccer field, watching Modern Family, or cooking. Rachel's love for sports, food, and writing often times go hand-in-hand, as one may see in her weekly blogs. For the past two summers, Rachel has been freelance writing for the Los Angeles Times, and hopes to continue her career pursuit of journalism after she graduates. Rachel is elated to be a part of Her Campus's fabulous team and loves every moment of it!
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Elizabeth Wagmeister
Elizabeth ('12) is studying Communication and Professional Multimedia Writing at UC Santa Barbara. Born and raised in Calabasas, California, she is a valley girl at heart, but loves spending her time in big cities or at the beach. Elizabeth is currently interning at Santa Barbara Magazine, and is also a writer and reporter for the food, arts, and entertainment sections of her university's newspaper. After a semester studying abroad in Europe, she spent the past summer in New York City as an editorial intern at TV Guide Magazine through the highly competitive ASME Summer Internship Program. Aside from previous internships including a local radio station, Elizabeth worked in Los Angeles at FOX 11 KTTV as a production intern for the top-rated morning show, Good Day L.A and FOX 11 News, and was also recently published in Seventeen magazine. An entertainment fanatic, Elizabeth has interviewed E!'s Giuliana Rancic, the cast of Glee, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and more. She is also a dedicated member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and served her chapter as Vice President and executive board member. When she's not editing Her Campus articles, you can expect to find her at the gym, shopping, eating chocolate, or watching any show on Bravo. Elizabeth is preparing for a career in print or broadcast journalism, and loves working for Her Campus!