The Holidays are easily the most challenging times of year for dieters, Aw heck, … for anyone! As dieters and health conscious people, it can be really frustrating when we are surrounded by constant food temptations at this time of year. Whether you are at work being handed a tray of Christmas cookies or at a Holiday party being handed a glass of egg nog, the temptation to overeat and choose the wrong kinds of foods can be almost overwhelming.
For those of use who have or have overcome a serious weight problem, being handed a gift of homemade sweets can be like crack cocaine to an addict. The fact is, sugar is highly addictive and without the tools to manage some of these cravings and “in your face” holiday challenges, many people are simply sunk and end up gaining back 10 or more pounds and struggling in January with a bunch of unrealistic New Years Resolutions.
The Healthy Holidays program was born out of my own desire to stay on track during the holidays and my maintain my weight loss. One day, it dawned on me that I should put together some of the strategies and tools I’d come up with and offer these resources to my friends and subscribers. Together, I believe we can stay strong, get the support we need, and overcome our holiday challenges. I hope you find these 7 Healthy Holidays Weight Maintenance Tips to be helpful as you navigate this beautiful yet challenging time of year.
Healthy Holidays Weight Maintenance Tips
Have a Plan for Dealing with Temptation
When you know that you will be confronted with foods that tempt you, make sure you are armed and prepared with your healthy holiday tools and strategies. You know your family, work environment, and what kind of temptations you may encounter and can and should be ready to deal with it in a healthy way.
Don’t go hungry to a party
When you are hungry, you are often more tempted to scarf down sugary, unhealthy foods. You may also be experiencing lower blood sugar which can trigger cravings for bread, carbs, sugar, and alcohol. Make sure you eat something healthy and ideally rich in protein before you arrive at your party and you will be more in control and less tempted by unhealthy party foods.
Eat Carbs or Sweets with a Protein
This is basic Healthy Holidays Program 101. Whenever you are at a any kind of dinner or holiday event where you will exposed to carbs and sugar, make sure you balance the glycemic load (the way your body reacts to sugar and carbs) with a little protein. This will help you keep your blood sugars balanced so they don’t spike your insulin levels and trigger cravings.
Take a Walk After Meals
This is a simple and easy strategy to help improve your digestion after a large and help you keep your metabolism running higher through the holidays. When you exercise, you keep things moving and burn energy, and stimulate the movement of food through your digestive tract. This strategy alone can help you manage your weight around a big Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner.
Eat Holiday Leftovers as a Salad
This is a fun Healthy Holidays strategy to play with. You can get really creative with your holiday leftovers by turning them into a super healthy salad. You can mix up your turkey with some spinach, nuts, and fruit for a tasty and nutrient rich salad. Make Sweet Potato and roasted vegetable salads with a light vinaigrette. You get the idea… The point is to kick up the healthy factor with fresh vegetables and extra nutrition.
Consider a “Day After” Detox
This can be one of the most useful of all the Healthy Holidays Program strategies. If you find that you just don’t want to worry about food, dieting, or modifying your food choices at all at your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, you can consider a “Day After” Detox.
Focus on the Celebration, Not the Food
This is really the most important Healthy Holidays Program Strategy of all. Remember what the holidays are all about. Christmas and Thanksgiving are about gratitude, giving thanks, and spending time with our loved ones. As we move into the Holiday season, let’s remember to celebrate and focus our valuable energy on what’s really important in life… and it’s not the Pumpkin Pie.
About the Healthy Holidays program with Tammy Skye
The Healthy Program is about making healthier choices when surrounded by holiday treats and goodies, sugar, starchy carb foods and other holiday challenges. It was born out of my own desire to face the food challenges around the holidays while maintaining my weight and good health.
For more Holiday support and information about the Healthy Holidays program Contact Us
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