Fat lose: Losing Weight with Lorelei

Nov 30, 2010 Lorelei Sieja

Holiday feasts Tempt Us with High Calorie Foods - photo by Sharon Mollerus

We're coming up to a challenging time of year - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's Day often entail large spreads of yummy foods packed with calories. There is social pressure to over-eat, over-drink, and under-exercise. How can we get through the holidays without sabotaging all our hard work, or alienating our families? A few tricks and a little restraint can work wonders, yet still allow us to enjoy ourselves without feeling cheated.

Take small tastes, not a full serving of anything

Bethenny Frankel, in her "The Skinnygirl Rules", calls this, "Taste everything, eat nothing." You take a tablespoon or two for a serving of each yummy looking dish. Maybe you take a small slice of turkey, a tablespoon of sweet potato casserole, a tablespoon of stuffing, a half a cup of a low-calorie raw vegetable selection, a tablespoon of mashed potatoes, and half a glass of wine. Eat slowly, and remember to visit with your guests. Don't take second helpings, but do allow yourself a small serving of dessert - perhaps you can skip the imitation whipped topping. At the end of the meal, you may not feel stuffed, but certainly you should be satiated. This is ont trick to surviving feasts. You won't feel cheated, but really enjoy the small servings, the variety of tastes and textures, and the wonderful company.

Chew each bite thoroughly

By taking the time to really chew your food, you can experience the full taste. You acknowledge that you are eating, what you are eating, and you really enjoy it. Savor it. Delight in it. Do not inhale it! If you chew carefully, you eat slower, which gives your brain time to recognize that you are satiated, and do not need more food. Chewing mashes the food, mixes it with saliva, and makes it more digestible, so you do not suffer indigestion, gas, or bloating. Eating slowly gives you time to enjoy conversation and companionship.

Increase Your Exercise on Days You Know You Will Be Tempted by Food

On Thanksgiving Day, try to get in two walks instead of one. Walk before dinner, and again later in the day. Walk briskly, but invite a visiting relative or guest to walk with you and maintain a conversation. Eat a normal breakfast, and a light meal in addition to the big feast. Do not skip meals, thinking that you'll save the calories for later. Skipping meals may make you sleepy or irritable, and far more likely to overeat. Getting in the extra walk can be a great way to calm frazzled nerves and relax so that you can really enjoy the holiday with your loved ones.

Make Water Your Social Drink

Many families enjoy some form of alcohol with their feasts. It may be wine, beer or mixed drinks, but it can be devastating to your diet. Alcoholic drinks pack on calories, make you drowsy, impair your judgment, and make you more likely to overeat. One option, of course, is to simply refuse. But if you'd really like that drink, go ahead. Have one. Then cut yourself off, switch to a glass of water with a wedge of lemon, and most folks won't even notice. You can mingle and jabber with the best of them, but maintain your sanity. This is especially important if you might wind up as the designated driver.

Plan A Few Interesting Topics for Conversation Starters

Are there certain topics that are "taboo" at your family gatherings? Maybe "no politics, no religion"? Do you ever find yourself wondering what else there is to talk about? The secret to good conversation is to prepare a few interesting topics ahead of time. Then if a tense moment may start to brew between to contentious guests, you can swiftly and simply steer the conversation to something less volatile. Review some science headlines, or look for a few good jokes. Read up a bit. You don't need to master the subject, as you don't want instruct your guests. Just know enough to talk about it. If you are expecting relatives you haven't seen in a while, you should "research" them. Review their birth dates, anniversaries, the names of their children or pets. Then you can always ask questions about their favorite topic - themselves.

Remove the emphasis from food, and switch it to family, and your diet will survive intact.

Today's Menu Plan: