But, why not, it’s the holidays, right? After the holidays, everything will go back to normal and we will lose the weight. But here’s the catch, we typically don’t. According to a study posted in the New England Journal of Medicine, we do not gain an average of 5 pounds over the holidays – that’s the good news. The bad news is that we gain an average of one pound, but it NEVER goes away!! That pound combined with lack of exercise can easily turn into 2 – 3 pounds each year. Multiply that by 10 years (which goes by in a blink) and you have your extra 20 pounds aging from 50 to 60! The best thing to do around the holidays is to consider them to be like all other times of the year. The festivities may be more plentiful, but the eating does not have to be. When a tray of hors d’ouevres is passed, have one sample of each kind of hors d’ouevres and spread it out through the evening. That way you do
get to try everything, but the overindulgence has not controlled you. When it comes to desserts, if you are a sugar junkie (which most of us are,) HAVE ONE BITE, savor it and push the rest away. And, when you stop laughing, I can tell you that this truly does work. By having the bite, you have satisfied your indulgence urge and not deprived yourself or insulted the host/ess. By pushing it out of your way at the table, your ego will easily take over and not allow you to embarrass yourself by bringing it back in front of you. Show your restraint and your friends will not only be impressed with your willpower, but envious of your strength. Another trick is to start the evening with a tall glass of water – 8 – 12 ounces, no ice if you can. That will “fill” your stomach right away. Do this, also, 30 minutes before you sit down to a meal as it tends to make you feel sated before you begin. If you are a guest at