- An often-quoted statistic, which may or may not be true, is that the average American gains 7 pounds during the holidays. In any case, there’s no denying that holidays and holiday eating pose a threat to many people’s healthy diet and exercise programs. Here are a few tips that may help you get through the rest of the year with your fitness fairly intact.

Healthy Holiday Tips

- Don’t skip your workouts.
- This is not the time to start on a weight loss diet. Make it your goal to keep your weight stable.
- At a drinks and hors d’oeuvre party, fill your plate with veggies and other low fat choices. Then move away from the buffet table to eat it. If you’re still hungry after you eat, you can go back, but don’t hang out by the food.
- If you want a cocktail, try to mix it yourself and keep it light. You can also just keep adding water as the evening goes on. If you don’t want to drink, don’t. If there’s social pressure, get a glass of soda or tonic with a lime in it and either talk loud or giggle a lot. No one will know the difference.
- If you’re cooking the turkey, don’t choose the self-basting kind. They have more fat. If you’re eating it, take off the skin and remember, white meat has less fat than dark. If you have one of those tofu turkeys from the health food store, let me know how it was.
- Cut a little bit of the butter and a little bit of the sugar out of the recipe. It will taste just as good. For seasoning, think herbs and spices. You can get away with substituting low fat dairy or yogurt. It often tastes better than the full fat version.
- Eat something light before a big holiday meal. Don’t go into it ravenous, but don’t stuff yourself with celery sticks thinking that will make you want to pass up the candied yams.
- If you’re never tempted to eat sweets or fatty food, try not to keep saying to other people, “how can you put something like that in your body?”
- Emphasize fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water so you don’t think you’re hungry when you’re really thirsty. These things don’t change. Don’t give up your good habits.
- Don’t feel badly if your social life doesn’t include a lot of holiday parties. You’ll be able to keep to your workout schedule and eat what you want.
- Don’t skip your workouts. Spend less time, if necessary, but do it.
- Plan something active for one of those days off instead of watching yet another game or a special you’ve seen five times before.
- Don’t deprive yourself of parties or treats you really want. You’ll get even with yourself later. If you really want to eat twigs and berries and lord it over your piggy friends, that’s ok too.
- Remember your good time may not be the same as another’s. Enjoy yourself and have happy holidays.