Many folks think that making an attempt to lose weight throughout the holidays is very unlikely, simply because the whole season appears to revolve around rich, fat-laden food. Virtually every party and gathering you go to will incorporate high calorie dips, baked goods, fried foods, and sweets. Who can concentrate on shedding weight with all of that staring them in the face?

However , there ARE plenty of methods to lose weight during the holidays without feeling deprived.

Here are a few good ones to start with:

1) Healthy to go.

If you go to a holiday party, prepare a nice big veggie or fruit platter to take with you. Add a dish of local dip like salsa or hummus and you’ve got something that you can munch on for hours and consume very few calories. Do not be surprised if folks at the party are thrilled to have healthier options too!

2) Healthy baked products.

Most cookies, pies, and cakes are calorie-rich, but you can simply whip up some low-calorie, healthy options. Try fat free bran muffins with raisins, no sugar cookies, and modified low fat fruit cobbler.

3) Eat healthy first.

Regardless of whether you do want to sample a few goodies at a holiday party, you will have a way easier time staying in control if you eat some healthy foods before you leave home. Enjoy a generous green salad, fruit salad, or baked chicken or fish with cooked veggies. You will not be hungry so you can safely enjoy a treat at the party without over indulging.

4) Compromise.

If you eat out at a bar during the holidays, you may be almost convinced to enjoy an alcoholic beverage or 2, an appetizer, a rich meal and a rich dessert – all of which will slow down or halt your weight loss for a day or 2. But compromising can be a good way around this quandary. For instance, promise yourself that you’re going to drink seltzer water with lime rather than alcohol and have a baked or broiled dish for dinner, and then enjoy a little dessert and coffee afterward. If dessert isn’t your weakness, you could compromise on the appetiser and meal; enjoy a healthy vegetable appetizer and a rich meal – or just enjoy each one of them but eat tiny portions and take the rest home in to-go bag.

You can most certainly lose weight during the holidays if you simply make conscious decisions about what goes into your mouth – remember that excess calories will usually settle on your hips, stomach, or thighs if you make unhealthy decisions.

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