Resolutions, Take 2
All is not lost if you abandoned your plan to improve your diet. You can get back on track with a few easy eating adjusting.
Though you’ve resolved to shed a few pounds this year, resisting the lure of festive food and decadent drinks is more difficult than you thought. There are over-the-top feasts with mounds of meat and comfort classics, get-togethers with buttery cookies and rich desserts, office socials with chocolatey sips and sugary cocktails.
This can become one of those saints-or-sinners situations in which guilt over a single lapse prompts a “What the heck!” downslide. But the fact is that there’s a sensible middle ground between the purity of self-denial and pure pigging out. (Consider this encouraging report: The New England Journal of Medicine says Americans overestimate the weight they gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. They think they’re putting on 5 new pounds when the weight they truly add averages 0.48 kilograms—just over 1 pound.) If folks can keep the weight off during the holidays, you can do it any time of year.
That’s not to deny the danger. And it grows when you combine an overindulgence on processed foods, sugar and carbs with unfavorable lifestyle factors such as a lack of sufficient exercise and sleep. To help you avoid putting on unwanted pounds this year, heed a few of these tips:
Plan ahead
Consider marking all the get-togethers and parties you’ll be attending on a calendar so you can plan ahead. If you know you’ll be having a big meal, eat lighter on that day to balance the extra calories you may consume. Fresh fruit, low-calorie yogurt and unsalted nuts are perfect snack options. Don’t skip the event if you can make it, and try not to go hungry because that will help you consume less.
Be smart at the office
The workplace can be a nutritional nightmare. Besides all the sweets your co-workers may put out on the break-room table, lunches and office parties can make it difficult for even the most health-conscious employee to make smart choices. Try to scope out the selection and choose a couple of your healthier favorites, such as salads with oil-and-vinegar-based dressings as well as fresh foods that have been steamed instead of fried. And don’t forget about portion control, especially at buffets and potlucks. Keep it to one plateful of food.
Balance, don’t binge
Carbohydrates are comforting, and it may seem there’s always an abundance of breads, cookies and other baked goods. You can enjoy those treats, but just like with day-to-day nutrition intake, balance is key. Be sure you balance carbs with protein for weight management. Lean protein from meat, poultry, fish and beans can boost metabolism as well as appetite-reducing hormones in the body. Aim to get at least 1 ounce of protein in each meal. Like protein, fiber is another nutrient that helps with weight management as it promotes the feeling of fullness, thus reducing the amount of food we eat. Fiber-rich foods include veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
Serve healthy choices
If you’re having people over, try to add balance to what is being served. For instance, put out a vegetable-based appetizer with a yogurt dip and fruit-based dessert. Avoid overloading charcuterie boards with processed meats and cheeses. Instead, top boards with nuts and fruit such as grapes, dates and figs. Bakers and cooks can make healthy modifications to recipes when possible. If you’re cooking dishes that call for heavy cream, for instance, consider using low-fat or skim milk instead—or substitute cream cheese or sour cream with Greek yogurt.
Feel the burn
Whether you’re counting calories or not, you know that a heaping plate of hors d’oeuvres can add up. And if burning off what you eat is a concern, plan to put in time to exercise. Check nutrition labels and do a little easy math. Can’t get enough of pigs in a blanket, for instance? One serving (approximately five store-bought frozen piggies) is 245 calories— and requires an hour on the treadmill at a moderate pace to burn off. But don’t consider exercise only a chore. Think about catching up with friends at a yoga or Zumba class instead of meeting up for mocha lattes at the coffee shop.
