Christmas time is upon us and you know what that means?

Grandmas famous apple pie (or what ever other flavor of pies she makes)…huge family gatherings with a buffet of foods to choose from…and lets not forget to mention annual holiday hang outs with your old buddies.  Well, you have been working  hard to start a healthier lifestyle but you don’t want to compromise it during this upcoming holiday season.

Here are a few tips that can help you get ready and make it through this holiday without gaining the extra weight or guilt:

In stead of focusing so much on what you should and should not eat, try to just limit the “bad” things you do eat.  Yes have a piece of cake. But that means only have a small taste of pie or the other desserts that are available to you.  Just try to eat in moderation all those foods that you know are not as healthy for you.  Instead of focusing on still trying to eat to lose weight be realistic and just try to maintain the current weight.  This will allow you to enjoy the holiday treat and not build up the guilt from over indulging during this season.

Try to eat until you are satisfied (instead of until you are full). There is a huge difference between the both.  One if eating for survival and the other is just plain overeating.  You also want to try to incorporate some fruits and veggies into your meal.  You can skip some of the fried good and go for the baked or steamed foods.

Try not to skip any meals.  Try to stay on your regular meal schedule.  So when it does come time to eat again you will be less likely to overeat because you wont be as hungry (because you are usually more prone to overeat if you skip a meal.  You get to the next meal and you are so hungry that you eat and eat and eat and eat…)

If you do happen to overeat during one of your meals take it a little easy on the next meal. I am in no way suggesting starving yourself or depriving yourself of food, I am saying make smarter food choices on the meal following the huge meal to have a more balance calorie intake for that day.

And most importantly do not forget that what you drink also take a toll on your health.  Most beverages are packed with sugar and all sorts of other unhealthy stuff.  If you are going to drink consider supplementing water with the meal or in between meals.  And if you drink alcoholic beverages try some lower calorie options to help keep your caloric intake down.

There are a lot of small things that you can do to help you maintain your healthy lifestyle without giving up all of your favorite holiday treats! You just have to think ahead and be cautious of what you are consuming.

Also consider suggesting healthier options that can be made and shared by the family during you big holiday meal (substituting skim milk for whole milk when a recipe calls for it, use evaporated milk instead of cream, substitute two egg white per egg in a recipe, or even consider using substitutes for frosting such as fruit or powdered sugar).  There are so many other things you can change or add to your favorite family recipes that will be a healthier option for you and your family AND they will taste just as YUMMY!

Don’t forget that you can also schedule family activities to help keep you and your family members active during this holiday! Plan family competition games (such as races or a football game in the front yard).  A little friendly family competition is also fun if you award a prize or award to the winning team.  You can also walk around to look at Christmas light displays (instead of drive) or even bike ride.  Be mindful if it is cold outside and be sure to layer up to ensure that you can stay warm.

So start to get prepared for this upcoming holiday by thinking smart and getting ready to continue to make smart food (and drink) choices.

Also, please do not forget the holiday health challenge that is being put on by BeautifulBrwnBabyDol! It’s never too late to start being healthy!

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