Tips for Keeping Holiday Parties from Ruining Your Diet

Studies have shown that the average American usually gains a couple of pounds during the holiday season. In fact, the average holiday diner consumes nearly 4500 calories and 230 grams of fat while eating one traditional Thanksgiving dinner! And those calories don't even include the meals in the remainder of the day - breakfast, lunch, or late-night snacks. The extra pounds people pack on during the holidays often become permanent, so as the pounds continue to add up year after year, the risk of obesity later in life adds up as well. Although not everyone gains weight during the holidays, almost everyone eats and drinks more than usual, and exercises less. The hustle and bustle of festive parties, holiday shopping, and traditional celebrations, healthy eating and regular exercise usually go right out the window.

So how will you be able to enjoy your holidays without risking weight gain? With a little planning, it's not really that hard. If you've been trying to lose weight before the holidays roll around, dieticians suggest that you switch your focus from losing weight to simply maintaining your present weight. The holiday season is already a tough time to maintain weight, and losing weight may be impossible. So instead, allow yourself to have a few treats and just plan on maintaining your weight and not gaining, and then after the New Year you can return to your weight loss regimen without guilt - like taking a short vacation from your diet.

If you are hosting parties and holiday dinners, do what you can to trim out calories without compromising annual traditions or the flavor and quality of your foods. By keeping your dinners at a reasonable calorie level, you'll be helping your guests to enjoy bountiful food without gaining weight. As the experts say, it's much more difficult to lose weight than to gain it, so if you help your guests by not tempting them with a calorie overload, you can feel like you've given them a secret Christmas present.

Plan your menus to include plenty of vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and low-fat dairy, especially in gravies and sauces where the reduction in fat won't be noticeable. Pay attention to nutrition labels to select foods that are nutritious but lower in fat, sugar, and calories. An easy way to shave off calories is to tread lightly when adding cheese, butter, nuts, and whipped cream to recipes. Also, most appetizers can easily be loaded with high calories, and it's easy to eat too much before the meal. So you can help your guests out by offering appetizers that are light, yet still appetizing, such as reduced-fat cheese with whole wheat crackers, shrimp cocktails, fresh veggies with low-fat dip, or fresh fruit on skewers.

Instead of casseroles or vegetables with heavy sauces, include more simple plain vegetable dishes, lightly cooked or steamed. You'll be filling your guests' plates with healthy fiber, not with tons of calories and fat. But if you are compelled to cook a casserole, use low-fat or low-calorie soup, include more vegetables, and instead of using fried onions or buttered crackers to top it, use a crunchy whole-grain cereal or simple bread crumbs.

You can create healthier versions of all your favorite holiday foods by simply swapping ingredients to shave off calories wherever you can, and your guests will not even notice. Use chicken stock to cook vegetables instead of adding butter afterward, light Neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese, fat-free yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and low-fat milk rather than whole milk. In baked goods, use non-fat yogurt applesauce in place of the same amount of oil. Roast sweet potatoes with a spritz of butter-flavored spray and a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar substitute, instead of making the traditional butter-laden, calorie-packed casserole. For dessert, try a healthy pumpkin pie made with non-fat evaporated milk, topped with fat-free whipped topping.

Remember that the holidays are full of many traditions, but the true meaning of Christmas is spending time with family and friends. If you follow a few simple guidelines for preparing food that is a bit more healthy and lower in calories and fat, then both you and your guests will be feeling as good after the holidays as they did before. And if you do happen to splurge and go on an eating binge, don't kick yourself for the slip in willpower. Just get back to your normal routine of healthy eating and exercising after the new year begins, and start planning to do better next year!