Not This Year: 7 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

For those of us watching our weight, the holiday season is the most dangerous time of the year. From the start of Thanksgiving until the last Superbowl party ends, the feast seems unending. Is it possible to enjoy the festivities without packing on the pounds? Of course! Believe it or not, you can avoid adding inches to your waistline without passing up all the fun. Take a look at these seven simple tips for holiday weight control and you'll greet every social engagement with new-found confidence.

1. Practice portion control. There's no reason to abstain from all the goodies that are piled high on plates and platters everywhere. When you deprive yourself, you're just setting yourself up for resentment and eventual over-indulging. The secret is in portion control. Is the turkey stuffing making your mouth water? Take a small amount and enjoy it. You'll feel satisfied knowing that you enjoyed your food without going overboard.

2. Don't starve yourself. The big dinner is only six hours away, and you want to have a good appetite for the main event. Don't abstain from eating until the family sits down to the table. Skipping meals can actually trigger an increase in appetite, binge eating and a loss of energy. Instead, eat smart snack foods, like nuts, raw vegetables, yogurt and fruit. Eating small amounts of food will keep your metabolism stable throughout the day.

3. Avoid "bad" carbohydrates. There are several forms of carbohydrates and knowing which ones to avoid will help keep you from adding weight. The culprits are the foods made from white flour, sugar and the infamous "high-fructose corn syrup." Packaged foods and snacks tend to be loaded with bad carbohydrates but fresh, healthy meals can be cooked without them. Other good carbs are found in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain breads and pastas.

4. Easy on the alcohol. Nutritional guides may tell you that rum, vodka and scotch have no carbohydrates, but they don't tell you that they're filled with "empty" calories. They also don't mention that alcohol doesn't make you feel full so those "empty" calories are just added to the calories in the food you'll eat at dinner. Try drinking a glass of water between alcoholic beverages to cut down on extra calories.

5. Back away from the buffet. They're incredibly festive, incredibly appealing and incredibly hard to resist. All in all, buffets are the weight-conscious person's worst enemy. If you're confronted with a 20 foot table of goodies, take a few items on a small plate and migrate to a place as far away as possible. Then, begin to have fun socializing and try not to drift back into the buffet line.

6. Don't start a new diet. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to embark on a new diet program as the holidays begin. The likely result is the failure of a weight loss plan that might have worked at another time of the year. Instead, practice common sense and use some of the tips we've listed. A soon as the celebrations become less abundant, start your new diet fresh and unhampered by the massive temptations of the holidays.

7. Focus on family and friends. The true meaning of the holidays is enjoying the company of loved ones. Don't let food and drink distract you from that far more important goal.

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