Surviving the Holidays Without Gaining a Pound

Surviving the Holidays Without Gaining a Pound

by Christine Ardigo MS RD CPT

The holidays are upon us and the gift no one wants to get stuck with is “those extra pounds.” Between the parties, stress, and holiday food, you need a plan to deal with all these tempting eating occasions. Holidays should be a time of memories, thanks and laughter with family and friends, but there is always a huge amount of food around. We need to eat healthier and lighter on non-function days, and increase our exercise as well. Here are some tips to get you started:

DRINKS

Although a celebratory drink is fine, excessive drinking or consuming drinks that are really “desserts in disguise” can be a too easy way to ingest your calories. At gatherings, start with a non-alcoholic drink or save the alcoholic beverage for your meal. Mix alcohol with diet soda or club soda. Mix wine with club soda for a wine spritzer. Drink light beer.

Here are the calories in common holiday drinks:

Eggnog with rum: 370 calories & 14gms of fat

Peppermint hot chocolate: 380 calories & 26gms fat

Hot buttered rum:

300 calories & 11gms of fat Martini: (6oz) 600 calories Godiva chocolate liqueur (3oz):

310 calories Kahlua, Amaretto, Schnapps (1oz):

110-135 calories Baileys (1oz):

150 calories and 7gms of fat

Wine: 120 calories

(Spritzer: 60 calories) Champagne: 100 calories Regular beer: 150 calories Light beer: 100 calories Vodka/Gin: (1oz) 65 calories

TRICKS TO GET YOU THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS

If you feel the need to splurge on all the glorious food, don’t waste calories on beverages; drink water. Fill up on low fat meat and vegetables and decrease your carbohydrate intake. When you eat carbs, choose those high in fiber. If you must try everything your host prepares, take small portions of each. If you indulge, pick your poison: alcohol or dessert, or just have a small serving or both. Exercise more to reduce stress and keep the pounds off. If you are hosting a party, serve lower fat, lower calorie varieties of all of the favorites: you will feel better and so will your guests. Instead of bringing the usual high fat desserts or alcohol as a gift, opt for healthier choices such as a fruit or vegetable platter, or even gift certificates to a spa, personal trainer or a dietitian! And, don’t forget, when shopping for gifts, bring your list, but also bring healthy snacks to get you through the long day. Even tossing a protein bar in your jacket will do.

THE PLAN FOR THE ACTUAL DAY OF EVENT

*Eat a good healthy breakfast, high in protein & fiber, for example:

• Protein Shake with fruit, veggies, Greek yogurt, whey protein powder, or peanut butter

• Oatmeal with nuts, fruit, flaxseed, chia seeds, protein powder, milk

• Egg omelet with peppers, onion, tomatoes

• Right before the event EAT! Starving yourself will increase the chances of bingeing and making poor food choices. Have a high protein, high in fiber snack, like 8 grapes with 8 whole almonds.

• Chew on a piece of gum before entering party and start with a cold glass of water.

• Limit appetizers. One little pigs in the blanket, 1 Swedish meatball and 1 cracker with cheese provides 300 calories already!

• Keep portion sizes in mind when sitting down for dinner. There will be more food than you can fit on your plate. Choose foods wisely, limit portions, and watch out for additions such as gravy, salad dressings, “glazed” foods and butter.

• Choose more meat and vegetables, and less carbs.

• Start the party with the fruit and vegetable platter; then eat lean protein, more vegetables; then high fiber starches. Keep any sweets or alcohol last, and only in limited quantities.

Good and Not So Good Food Choices

Good: Broth based soups Not So Good: Cream based soups

Good: Turkey, lean roast beef Not So Good: Antipasto meats

Good: All vegetables Not So Good: Glazed/candied/buttered veggies

Good: Baked sweet potato Not So Good: Mashed potatoes/rolls

Good: Unsalted nuts Not So Good: Salted/candied nuts

Good: Light beer, wine spritzer Not So Good: Heavy holiday drinks

Good: Water, tea/coffee Not So Good: Sodas, juices, fancy hot beverages

Good: Veggie/fruit platter Not So Good: Fried appetizers/cheese

Good: Mixed green salad Not So Good: Croutons, salad dressings

Good: Small portion of dessert Not So Good: Multiple portions of dessert

If your host is serving all “not so good” foods, just have a very small portion of each. After all, you’re really there for the company not the food. Maintaining your weight during the holidays is a great step in starting a healthy lifestyle for the New Year. Why wait until January 1st? If you are able to do it now, you’ll be able to conquer any food situation. On the other hand, it’s a holiday - relax, have fun with your family and friends, and return to your healthy lifestyle the following morning.

Coconut-Cardamom Sweet Potatoes

Serves 10

• 5 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ¾ inch pieces

• 3/4 cup light coconut milk

• 2 tsp cardamom, ground

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1/3 cup unsalted pecan halves, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add sweet potatoes, return to boiling and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and transfer potatoes to a bowl. Add all ingredients (except pecans) to potatoes and mix on medium. Transfer to a 9x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle pecans evenly over sweet potato mixture. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

100 calories, 3.5gms fat, 15gm carbs.

Green Beans with Roasted Chestnuts

Serves 10

• 1 & 1/2 lbs French green beans

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 TBSP olive oil

• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)

• roasted chestnuts, sliced

• 1 & 1/2 cups canned vacuum-packed

• juice of half a lemon

• 1/3 cup low salt chicken broth

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add beans to pot and boil for 3-4 minutes. Fill another bowl with ice water. Drain and immediately transfer beans to ice water for 2 minutes.

Drain again and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add chestnuts and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Add beans to shallot mixture and toss well, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve hot.

90 calories, 5gms fat, 12gms carbs.

Spiced Pumpkin Mousse

Serves 10

• 2 15-oz cans 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

• 1 1-lb pkg of silken tofu, drained

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

• 1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground

• 3/4 tsp ginger, ground

• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, ground

• 1/4 tsp cloves, ground

• 1/2 cup Fat free Greek yogurt

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1oz dark chocolate, cut into thin shards (1/4 cup)

Combine pumpkin and tofu and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Add maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Process until combined, about 30 seconds more. Transfer mousse to a re-sealable container, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Drain any water that has accumulated from mousse; give it a quick stir and scoop ½ cup mousse into each of 10 small glasses. Top each serving with 2 tsp yogurt and 1 tsp chocolate. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

130 calories, 3.5gms fat, 22gms carbs.

Christine Ardigo is a Registered Dietitian/Personal Trainer who writes contemporary romance novels in her spare time. When weight lifting, rock climbing, white-water rafting, and jumping out of airplanes wasn’t enough, she decided to fulfill a dream she had as a child: to write a book.

She’s lived in New York her entire life and can’t imagine living anywhere else. She has the beaches, the bay and the city, all a half hour away. She’s built memories here with her husband, two silly daughters and a bunch of crazy friends, all whom she loves very much.

You can discover more about Christine on the Mom’s Favorite Reads website here: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/christine-ardigo/