re: Holiday Tips

"More Holiday do's & dont's" In our last Healthy Beginnings newsletter we began our list of "How to survive the Holidays.: 20 steps for surviving the holidays!! The Holiday season is now is full swing, with the accompaning food, entertainments, and of course stress. Here are 13 add on's to our original list & it focuses on ways to avoid eating all those tempting goodies. 1. Scout out the options. Before filling up your plate at a buffet, stroll all the way through and see what foods are being offered. Knowing what your options are will allow you to make better choices. 2. Fill up on the protein and vegetables first. 3. Choose foods that are unique to the holiday season. Turn down the usual fare and instead focus on foods that are not offered all year round. Enjoy small portions of holiday foods. 4. Do not skip meals in order to save calories for a feast. You will end up ravenous and over-eat or eat all the wrong things. Eat three meals and two snacks as you would any other day. 5. Eat a small snack of vegetables and/or protein before attending holiday parties. 6. Avoid sitting near the food. Socialize as far away as possible to keep from unconsciously nibbling along with everyone else. 7. Make a plan ahead of time. If you know the Aunt Esther's world famous fudge and Grandpa's eggnog will be on the menu, decide ahead of time whiche "ONE" you are going to indulge in. If you don't know what is on the menu call the host/hostess ahead of time and ask. Offer to bring a dish that is on your plan to share with everyone. 8. Avoid or limit alcoholic beverages. They are high in calories, and after a drink or two you are also more likely to be too liberal in your eating choices. You will absorb and store every calorie that is contained in alcohol! 9. Send the leftovers home with your guests. If you are the host/hostess of the party prepare a "Goodie Bag" of leftovers to be sent home with your guests. If you keep them, they will tempt you to over-eat. If they won't take them home, offer them to a neighbor. (Not people you know who are trying to reach the same goals as you are.) If you can't find a willing neighbor, simply trash them. 10. If you are the guest and are offered some goodies to take home, gently, but firmly decline. Do not let the guilt, or pressure, you feel cause you to sabotage your own goals. The guilt you feel later from finishing off those goodies will be far worse. Explain that you and your family are trying to eat healthier and having that around would make it very difficult because it was so delicious. If you just can't say no, accept the goodies and find the nearest thrash receptacle. (Not in front of them or you will be in big trouble.) If you cannot throw it out, give it to a neighbor. 11. As much as possible stay on your normal food plan. allow yourself to splurge, but only at parties or on the actual holiday. Try to keep treats down to once a week. If you have two or more events scheduled for the same week, plan ahead and decide ahead of time which one you will have a treat at. 12. Don't give in to the excuse, "I've already blown it, so I may as well go ahead and eat and start over after the holidays." If you have eaten more than you planned on, or ate something you did not plan on eating, enjoy it, and move on. Get back to your plan immediately. Don't wait another day. Do it now! 13. Last, but most important of all, enjoy the Holidays and try not to make food the focal point. Instead, focus on the things you are thankful for; like being able to cross your legs, fit into a movie theatre seat, or wearing the size you wear now. Having your health and being here to share the holidays with your loved ones." I hope this helps! Hope you all have a blessed Holiday. Elissa

Thanks for the great tips Elissa. It is going to be a difficult time during the holidays, but your tips should help. Hope your holiday is blessed too! Rosa

What a great thing to wake up to this morning. Tonight is our party from work and I am worried about it. Resturants are different and I can control myself there, but this is my first grazing experience since my surgery and frankly I am scared I am going to make a copy of this to carry in my pocket and run the ladies room whenever I feel I am getting out of control to reread it Thanks, Ellen

Thanks for the encouraging post. I remember this from last year but need it MORE this year. When I went to NYC the other day I stopped in Ferrara's the World famous bakery with the intention of bringing home some nice desserts for my husband. Now you know that I also bought some of my favorites as well. They were good but not worth the guilt and side effects that sugar brings. Sugar effects my body not just in the normal WLS way of being sleepy and a warm feeling like a hot flash but since I have been without it for a long time I can also notice that it gives me lumps under my arms. TOXINS,TOXINS, TOXINS!!! How many of you all notice the changes in your diet since you've been eating food that is more natural and eliminated all that WHITE stuff. Let's work at leaving the white stuff for the ground (Snow) and the bread, sugar, rice, noodles etc for our past to remember. The sugar just isn't worth it. Those little bites (Three bite rule) can lead to the whole cookie, which leads to another cookie. At least for me. Have a great day and pray for me. I'm off toNYC again today to have lunch with some friends who are in the city for the holidays. NO COOKIES TODAY FOR ME. God bless, Mama