Managing Weight During the Holidays

The holidays are upon us. And so are the large meals we cook for the entire family to enjoy. This presents a challenge for anyone who is trying to lose weight. If you are following a weight loss therapy, good for you! And, yes, you can still maintain control over what you eat and drink even if there is a lot of food on the table. 

Controlling Portions Around the Dinner Table

The hardest part of the holidays and managing what we eat is sitting at the table, trying to figure out what can we eat, or how much should we eat, that is not going to affect our weight.  And these are concerns that can and should be addressed before we sit at the table. In fact, we can make these decisions days before the big day. 

Know what will be served.

Just like a restaurant has menus that we can revise beforehand, so is what we are going to be serving at the dinner table during the holiday. If the party is not taking place at your own home, find out what the host will be serving for the holiday dinner. Sure enough, they may ask that you bring something to add to the table. Knowing what will be served at dinner will help you prepare to make your own plate beforehand. For example, the dinner will include turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, bread, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, cranberry sauce, and some vegetables that we all know are there to make us feel less guilty. Most of the foods mentioned here are carbohydrates, which contribute to increased blood sugars and calories. 

If the host of the party asks that you bring something that can be added to the large meal table, bring a salad, full of high fiber ingredients. The alternative option to a salad are cooked vegetables that also are high in fiber and have almost no calories. This way you can create a balanced meal when you are at the party. You want half the plate to be non starch, high fiber vegetables!

High Fiber Vegetables

Examples of high fiber vegetables that contribute little to no calories are:

Spinach

Kale

Yellow and green squash

Pumpkin

Asparagus

Artichokes

Carrots

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Eggplants

Heart of Palms

Mushroom

Radish

Rutabaga

Mixed greens