"Party Pounds"

First and foremost I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! This time of year is my absolute favorite due to the fun activities and many festive parties! With that being said… this holiday season I have a total (as of this moment) of six Christmas parties within two weeks! Now don’t get me wrong, I love this time with friends while we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and spend time with one another. However, with these parties one problem always poses a threat: those tempting desserts leading to those extra holiday pounds. Like many of you, I have a huge sweet tooth which is a slight problem during this time of the year. Not only do I have a problem resisting the sweet table at parties, but baking is one of my all time favorite hobbies! So since I am past the obstacle of the “freshman fifteen” I am again approached with the next hurdle of what I call “party pounds”.

From my few years of schooling and the start of my career in nutrition I have accumulated some holiday tips that I am writing down and posting to follow this holiday season. These have helped me dodge those extra pounds from previous Christmas parties and activities and I am hoping it will help again this year. My hope is that sharing these may inspire you to stay healthy while enjoying your holiday season!

• Eat a small snack before attending the party (it will help from overeating at the party)
• Sip on a glass of water throughout the duration of the party
• Stand away from the food table to prevent grazing (grazing will add up unwanted calories!)
• Sample small amounts of a variety of foods and wait for 20 minutes before going back for seconds
• Focus your attention on your friends and company rather than the food table
• Choose more fruits and vegetables since they are lower in calories and nutrient-rich
• Take a walk with friends and family after a holiday meal for some fresh air and exercise
•  Choose your beverages wisely. Many holiday drinks are full of calories.
• When shopping, pack your own snack to save money and calories
• Trail mix
• Nuts/Seeds
• Popcorn
• Yogurt
• Granola bar
• Vegetables
• Dried/fresh fruit
• Park far away from the store when you are holiday shopping to get some extra exercise

This small list will hopefully give you some healthy tips to follow for this holiday season. Maybe it will even help you jumpstart those New Year’s resolutions for 2013! Stay tuned in the next couple days for some healthy drinks that you can surprise your guests and friends with at your next party. Have a Merry Christmas!