With holidays upon me, I’ve got to start considering the inevitable—holiday eating. You might not know this about me, but I’m rather keen on fashion and I like to look trendy and pretty as often as I can. I like my clothes to be pretty, especially around the holidays. Though I’d love to go shopping for a new outfit for Christmas, that’s not likely to happen, with all the gift buying and events we’ll be supplying food/snacks for. Therefore, my dressy clothes must fit. Last year, my dietician requested that her clients “maintain” rather than worry about losing weight over the holidays, and happily, I managed to do that. How, you ask, did I get that done?

5 Maintenance Strategies

Portion control- I found that trying to follow food guide portion recommendations helped keep holiday treat temptations at a minimum. Taking half that chocolate square and sharing with my husband or son seemed much better than eating the whole thing myself. I like to keep my meat portions to the size of my palm, my veggies and fruit to a maximum (Got lots of veggies on your plate, especially raw? No problem!) I keep in mind food guide recommendations of 2 servings for dairy, as I do have a weakness for cheese and ice cream (not together!) I also try to keep grains to a minimum (a woman my age gets to eat about 6-7 servings a day) and I tend to go for whole wheat options.

Exercise- as long as our trainers are putting on classes at our MMA club, we (meaning, yours truly and my other half) will be there working out. We like to add in walks and some yoga here and there as well.

Stress Management- we all know that stress in our lives can lead to stress eating. Though I love to shop, my hubby does not (especially in all the holiday crowds), so I keep the stress to a minimum by shopping for presents well ahead of time (early December), staying organized by keeping track of our events on a calendar and in my Outlook program (getting reminders from my computer is helpful if I’m not keeping my eye on the calendar very well), watching my son and our nieces/nephews and their utter joy during the holiday season, and by trying to get yoga practice into my schedule. Staying happy and enjoying this time is key.

No Alcohol- I don’t drink so I’m saved from all of those enticing but calorie-loaded eggnogs and alcoholic treats. Anyone looking to keep the pounds from creeping up on the scale could do well by either mixing drinks with water (as my husband does with rye) or skipping the drinks (and fielding a lot of questions) altogether.

Allowances- It is Christmas. I allow myself some treats. Otherwise, I’ll go mad watching everyone else eat all the goodies! I do try to tell myself “my life isn’t going to change if I skip that treat” but I don’t go about wildly berating myself over indulging in some chocolate (my fave.)
I look forward to reading everyone's tips for beating the holiday eating stress!

Added by Teresa J. at Wellsphere.com