Tips On How To Diet For The Holiday Season

The holiday season presents endless temptations to overindulge with food. Rich, heavy meals, parties with an endless variety of appetizers and hors d'oeuvres can make it difficult to avoid weight gain, much less adhere to a healthy eating plan. But you can make it through the holiday season, enjoy the delicious foods and drinks of the season--and still fit into your clothes in January.

Use Your Fork

Contrary to what you might tell yourself, calories from cookie crumbs, cake batter and the frosting bowl do count. So do calories you consume on the run, or standing up during a holiday get-together. You may absentmindedly consume up to 600 to 800 calories from appetizers alone while chatting with friends at a party, according to the AARP website. One solution is to limit yourself as much as possible to eating only when you can sit at the table and use utensils to eat. It's an easy way to cut mindless consumption of calories, the AARP website claims.

Don't Try to Bank Calories

Although you may be tempted to skip meals in anticipation of a holiday celebration, you may slow down your metabolism as a result, which makes it more likely that the extra calories you consume will be stored as fat, the Diet Channel website warns. Your body cannot efficiently process extra calories consumed at a single meal, even if you don't exceed your daily limit. A smarter plan is to have a small, high-protein snack before the party or meal to take the edge off your hunger, the Diet Channel website advises.

Maintain Your Workout Schedule

Resist the temptation to skip your regular workouts during the holiday season, the Diet Channel recommends. Add a bit of extra time to your workout to compensate for the extra calories you're consuming. Schedule your workouts along with your holiday dinners and parties. By including your workout on your calendar, you're less likely to schedule something else during the same time. Don't wait until January to set fitness or weight-loss goals, the Women Fitness website advises. Regular exercise can also help regulate your blood sugar levels, which is especially important for diabetics, explains "Get Healthy" magazine.

Make Healthy Substitutions

If you're a diabetic, follow a low-sodium diet or have other special diet needs, holiday meals can present a special challenge. Make healthy, low-calorie substitutes for many high-calorie, sugar-laden and sodium-heavy ingredients, and your taste buds will never know the difference. Substitute spice for salt when cooking, the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" advises. Yogurt makes a tasty, low-calorie substitute for sour cream in many recipes. Use zero-calorie sweeteners instead of sugar for holiday staples, such as candied yams or holiday punch. Include at least one steamed or fresh vegetable dish with your holiday meal menu, "Get Healthy" recommends.

Allow for Occasional Lapses

Even with careful planning and discipline, you may sometimes be unable to resist that second piece of double chocolate cake or extra helping of green bean casserole. One overindulgent meal will not undo the benefit of your previous efforts, the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" claims. Start over again with the next meal. Better yet, allow yourself one day per week where you eat whatever you want with no thought of calorie counting. Schedule as many parties and holiday dinners as possible for that day, the Women Fitness website suggests. On your designated "cheat day," enjoy your favorite foods armed with the knowledge that you've earned the break in your diet routine.