Keep Holidays, Extra Calories, in Perspective

If your house is like mine, you probably have a slice or two of Thanksgiving apple pie in your fridge. Heck, you might even have some Halloween candy stashed in your pantry, too.

And here comes the holiday season. Before you know it, candy canes, homemade fudge and Christmas cookies will be sitting on the counter in your kitchen.

None of them make it easy to lose weight during this time of year. But it can be done.

Check out these strategies to avoid holiday weight gain.

Count Your Calories 

People gain weight when they take in more calories than they burn. If you can’t fit into your jeans or need to loosen that belt, consider writing down everything you eat in a food diary. When you keep track of your calories as you go about your day, it motivates you to say no to that bowl of ice cream right before bed. It also helps people figure out how often they are mindlessly eating because they are stressed or bored.

Make Merry at the Gym

Another strategy is to stick to your exercise routine. As tempting as it is to skip the gym, schedule your holiday shopping and festivities so that it doesn’t take time away from working out. Not only does it help burn off extra calories, but exercising regularly can help reduce any stress from holiday pressures.

Celebrate Just on the Holidays

And lastly, try to keep the holidays in perspective. It’s one thing to have a glass of egg nog on Christmas Eve. It’s another when you drink a whole carton over several days. Moderation can be a beautiful thing.

Alice Warchol is a freelance health blog writer and fitness instructor.

+ Do you eat the right foods for your nutritional needs? Find out with Nutritional Analysis

+ What’s your ideal weight? Try our Body Mass Index calculator.