How to Stop Worrying About Holiday Weight Gain

Enjoying the season is better for your health than stressing over an extra pound. What are your best tips for losing weight over the holidays That s a question I ve been asked hundreds of times. It s also one I no longer answer. After all why advise people to double down on their diets when the rest of the world is telling them to celebrate with their favorite foods The question I ll answer instead is How can I help myself come out of this holiday season feeling as good as I did when I entered it Glad you asked. Do We Recommend Nutrisystem (Our Expert & Honest Review)Michael Greger (Physician author and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition food safety and public health issues) A founding member and Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Michael Greger M.D. FACLM is a physician author and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition food safety and public health issues. He has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs testified before Congress and was invited as an expert witness in the defense of Oprah Winfrey in the infamous meat defamation trial. He is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine. His latest book How Not to Die became an instant New York Times best-seller. He has videos on more than 2 000 health topics freely available at NutritionFacts.org with new videos and articles uploaded every day.Lose Weight.Money Back GuaranteedMillions of pounds lost. Countless lives changed.It s weight loss perfected. Order today. Shop Plans> Elisabetta Politi (Nutrition director Duke Diet and Fitness Center Durham N.C.) Politi a dietitian and certified diabetes educator focuses on preventing chronic diseases through diet and weight management. At the center she teaches patients how to make better food choices and plan healthy meals. She also oversees the preparation of well-balanced meals that are low in calories and high in taste.Elisabetta Politi is nutrition director at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center. She has over 18 years experience as a registered dietitian. Originally from Northern Italy Politi moved to the United States in 1989. Her professional career has been dedicated to the prevention of chronic diseases through diet and weight management. Previous appointments include nutritionist educator at Structure House in Durham N.C. and consulting dietitian for long-term-care facilities. Politi enjoys teaching nutrition classes and doing cooking demonstrations. She is also a certified diabetes educator and works closely with diabetic patients. Politi holds a B.S. in food science and technology from the University of Milan and an M.P.H. in Public Health Nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is treasurer for the North Carolina Dietetic Association and a past-president for the Durham Chapel Hill Dietetic Association. Politi has given several invited lectures and presentations. She has been interviewed by the Today Show NBC Nightly News The Discovery Health Channel and several local television stations. 1. Weigh yourself less often.If you typically weigh yourself daily the holidays might be a good time to dial back to once a week or so. No need to track and stress over every fluctuation which may very well be attributed to water (not fat) if you re eating foods that are higher in sodium than you usually consume. If you find even weighing yourself once a week is more upsetting than informative or motivating ditch it. The number that s on the scale has nothing to do with your self-worth value or ability to take care of yourself. It s just a number on a machine that is not alive so it can t and shouldn t dictate your mood or how your day will unfold.2. Enjoy some family recipes untouched. True I sometimes change recipes around to swap out ingredients that I know can be substituted with something healthier without compromising taste. For example I may use oil instead of the chicken fat (better known as schmaltz) that might have appeared in one of my grandmother s recipes. Or I may use almond milk when baking a cake for vegan guests.But some traditional recipes should go untouched because not only do they pass along a family treasure but they also connect you to family members in past generations who may have shared a similar dish. Focus on listening to older relatives memories rather than stressing over how many calories are in your great-grandmother s casserole.Live the Life You Want.Lose weight and experience thefreedom to feel your best every day Shop Plans> 3. Dress comfortably. Despite popular advice to wear tight clothing to prevent overeating I say Dress the body you have not the body you had in high school. Wearing clothing that makes you feel good may actually lead healthier decisions than wearing clothing that makes you feel bad. Self-compassion always beats self-hatred when it comes to making decisions that serve you.4. Enjoy a variety of foods even higher-calorie sides.Sure you could fill up on turkey and a plain baked potato to avoid room for less-healthy side dishes but you could also purposefully not wear mitts when taking hot food out of the oven. In other words why make yourself miserable Turkey and baked potatoes are available year-round so no need to give them starring roles on your plate on Thanksgiving (unless you love them of course).Leave some room for other dishes that you only get the chance to taste once a year. (I m already dreaming of my Challah-Day Stuffing but you can bet I ll be having my stuffed sweet potatoes too ). Eating a variety of foods with different flavors can help you feel satisfied sooner so you may not actually do any more damage than had you loaded up on bland foods you only semi-like.5. Eat dessert if you want it. Some people would prefer to skip the whole meal and just move right into dessert. If that s you enjoy it whether your dessert of choice is pumpkin cake pecan pie or a holiday fruit cake. Treat desserts as if they are special and choose the one you will enjoy the most (yes even if you are full). One day of a dessert you love is so worth the negligible impact it might have on your weight.This is the time of year when balance is key. That means trying to achieve that sweet combination of enjoying what you re eating while also enjoying the way you feel mentally and physically. When you re faced with holiday events excessive cooking and baking and invitations to parties with food everywhere just focus on what it takes for you to feel good. Savor those foods that mean the most to you because of the memories they bring the tastes they provide and the grateful feelings you get when you share them with others. Happy holidays from my table to yours.Our healthy living team crafts healthier versions of your favorite foods.View Plans>

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