Health and holiday do not cancel each other out. It may take a
bit of careful steering on your part, but it is possible to eat, drink, and be
merry without losing sight of the nutrition goals you've been pursuing all year
Shift Gears. The
road ahead will be filled with lots of delicious detours but that doesn't mean
you have to lose your way. If you've been following a weight loss regimen,
Downshift for the next few weeks and keep your eye on maintaining your present
weight.
Prepare for the Trip. If
you know you're heading for a party at night, the worst thing to do is to
starve all day. Just the opposite. Eat a well-balanced breakfast and lunch but
make them a bit more low-calorie than usual. And if time permits, increase your
exercise in preparation. Add an extra thirty minutes to your gym time or leave
the car in a central place and walk to all your errands, returning to stow your
bundles in the trunk and starting out again. In other words, use your day to
earn your night.
Cruising. Don't dive into the appetizers,
but don't avoid them either. Grab a plate, the smallest you can find and cruise
past, then cruise past again, scanning your choices. Look for raw foods or ones
that have been prepared simply and naturally. You'll find that the fiber and
texture of whole grains and veggies will satisfy you just as much as crunchy
fried foods and dip-soggy chips. And once you've made your choice, move as far
away from the buffet table as you can.
Maintain the Speed Limit. Eat
consciously, employing what mindful meditation practitioners call the Four
S's - Sit,
Savor the texture of each mouthful, Slowly chew, Still your mind.
Or if you prefer, take the opposite tack. Get your mind off
food. Plate in hand, use this time to circulate and socialize. After all isn't
that why you go to a party? Engage your mouth primarily in talking, and only
secondarily in eating.
Unlawful Drinking.
Eggnog is definitely a felony and sweet mixed drinks, misdemeanors. If you
prefer an alcoholic beverage and still want to follow the rules limit yourself
to white wine. But start off with a glass of seltzer. The carbonation will slow
down the process of drinking while allowing you to circulate, glass in hand
like everyone else.. And should you want more than one glass of wine, first
have another seltzer.
Rough Road Ahead.
Sitting down at the dinner table is fraught with temptation with all those
plates and platters passed your way, but there are a few ways to deal with it
without drawing attention to your predicament.
Fill your plate, with salad and vegetables taking up half, and
use the other half for whatever meats or sides that may tempt you. Starting
with salad, eat one foodstuff at a time, saving whatever is your favorite for
last. This counteracts the tendency people have to unconsciously shovel food
into their mouths. You just may find that by the time you get to your saved
treasure, you're full.
And when table mates pass the dessert you just may find yourself
saying. "That looks delicious but I just can't take another bite!"
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