Staying Festive and Fit this Holiday Season

Judy Mitnick, MS, RD, CSSD, CDE
Registered Dietician/Certified Diabetes Educator
Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics

It’s getting to be that time again; the time for parties, family and friends. The time for food, food and more food. Often my clients tell me they feel like someone else takes control of their eating during this time of year. I often imagine the holiday season as a white water river filled with rapids. Too many times, folks seem to fall into the “rapids” and are carried helplessly down the stream of excess calories and too little movement. This year, however, you can make a conscious choice to grab onto a tree branch and control the speed as you veer down the holiday river rapids. You can still enjoy yourself, the key is to go into this holiday season with your eyes open and make deliberate choices instead of merely letting the season carry you down the river.

Be “Picky” this Year!
During the holidays, many of us eat foods simply because they are there. They certainly will be there in full force but YOU can make a choice as to what to eat. Treat yourself to foods that are special for the holidays and skip the excess calories from ordinary, year round foods like potato chips. At buffets, it always helps to “survey” the line before putting any food on your plate. This way, only your real favorites wind up in front of you and you won’t find yourself absentmindedly picking on whatever is left on your plate. You will stay in control and still feel part of the festivities.

Watch the Holiday “Spirits”
It’s easy to go overboard on calories while toasting in the season. Not only does alcohol provide excess calories itself, but we also tend to lose focus on our food choices after just a couple of drinks. This year, set a goal to pace yourself on the cocktails and choose to have water or diet soda in between alcoholic drinks. When you do have a cocktail, you can decrease the calorie content tremendously by choosing calorie free mixers such as seltzer or diet soda instead of tonic or juices. Light beer and dry white wine tend to be lower calorie choices, as well. Of course, the best way to save all the cocktail calories is to make yourself the designated driver for the party and skip the alcohol altogether. You’ll feel better the next day as well!

Take Advantage of Extra Activity
It is more important than ever to keep up your exercise routine this holiday season. Don’t let the cold weather be an excuse to skip the workouts. Now is a great time to change it up. This not only helps to break through weight loss plateaus, but also provides some inclement weather alternatives to your usual routines, especially if you usually work out outside. You may find that exercising in the comfort of your own home with either exercise DVDs, fitness video games such as “Wii Fit” ™ or workout equipment can help you fight the temptation to “hibernate” this winter. In addition, use the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and errands to add additional calorie burning activities. Instead of fighting for the closest parking spot at the mall, avoid the frustration altogether by parking far from the entrance. Once you’ve finished your shopping and returns, use the mall as a great way to get in your extra walking steps instead of going right home. I promise you the more you move during the holidays, the more energy you will have to get through the stress and actually enjoy them!

Make a promise to yourself not to be carried down the holiday rapids this year. Put yourself in control and you will find yourself feeling festive and fit into the New Year!