Gretchen Scalpi, RDN

Now that Thanksgiving is over,  the holiday season is truly in full swing. Preventing weight gain over the holiday season is challenging when there’s a food blitz everywhere. Here’s a few tips to help you get a handle on the holiday food and prevent weight gain:

• Use an online tracker or wearable device:  Keep track of food intake and your daily activity. Studies suggest that tracking what you do each day helps to keep you mindful of what you eat.
• Set Limits Around Alcohol: Alcoholic beverages are empty calories and often stimulate  appetite. Alcohol also reduces self-control. This can be problematic at parties where alcohol and food are served. Develop a strategy to keep alcoholic beverages to a minimum.
• Makeover High Calorie Recipes: If you have calorie-rich traditional  recipes to prepare, consider using alternative ingredients or techniques that help lighten  the load. Substitute whole milk for heavy cream, and use less butter or  sugar. Many times a recipe can withstand a reduction in sugar, butter, or heavy cream by 30-50%.
• Keep on Weighing yourself:  Step on the scale at least once a week.  A recent study found that people who weighed themselves frequently lost more weight over a  six month period than those who seldom weighed themselves.
•  Get Adequate Sleep and Manage Your Stress: The holidays are a  stressful time for many people. Lack of sleep adds to the stress. Make sure you get adequate sleep, maintain regular physical activity, and keep  your time-management realistic for a more stress-free holiday season.

You can also read my article “Tips for Surviving Holiday Eating Without Guilt and Weight Gain”.

Tags: Christmas, holiday foods, holidays, Thanksgiving, weight control, weight gain