Keeping it real during the holidays

I'm sure many of you are lamenting all of the holiday foods you have already eaten at Thanksgiving and through December. How do you enjoy the holidays without being too extreme one way or the other?

My general rule is everything in moderation. In other words, don't eat the entire box of chocolate covered cherries (something I only enjoy at Christmas) in one sitting! I'm sure each of us have our favorite holiday treats and foods. But they are no fun to eat when you beat yourself up for even enjoying a taste. And if you indulge too much, the misery in "stuffed-dom" that you feel is also no fun. So enjoy some holiday treats and tastes and think about the following:

1. Don't go to a holiday party or dinner extremely hungry. Sometimes people think they are going to wait to enjoy all of the holiday treats. And, then because they are too hungry, they find themselves overconsuming.

2. Do have a taste of everything you want. If you find something you particularly enjoy, have another taste. If you find something you don't like, don't finish it! It's okay to leave it on your plate.

3. Don't tell everyone you can't eat because it's not on your diet. Obviously, if you are diabetic you can't or shouldn't eat sugar. I have been to parties before where someone, usually a woman, didn't eat anything because they couldn't or shouldn't. Whatever! If you take the time to go to the party, be prepared to be a gracious guest. Take a small plate. Take a couple of bites and say nothing. Eat it slowly and enjoy it. No one will notice. They will notice a few months down the road when you look fabulous. And they will also notice a few months down the road if you don't look fabulous (I thought she said she was watching what she ate?). Not eating at a holiday party is not normal or acceptable.

4. Do spread your calories out over the course of the day. You will never become hungry and find you actually eat less. Each time you eat try to consume 400-500 calories. If you eat five or six times that is 1800-2000 calories which is a normal amount needed for an average person who exercises 30 minutes per day.

5. Do find time to exercise during the holiday season. It will not only help you keep from putting on holiday pounds it will also help reduce stress while keeping you in shape. You may not gain any weight during the holidays but you can become out of shape with no exercise.

6. Do remember that alcohol adds lots of calories. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram which is very close to 9 calories per gram in fat. So choose carefully. Wine can have half the amount of calories of beer or a sweet mixed drink. A margarita tops the calorie chart with the highest amount at 175 calories for an average size.

7. Do remember to eat before you indulge in an alcoholic drink or just enjoy the drink with or after your meal. This can have a huge impact on the food choices you make.

8. Don't skip the sweets. Try a taste. If you have really been watching what you eat and are afraid you will blow it, don't take a whole piece of anything. Only put a bite of what you would like to taste on your plate. If you take the whole piece, you might find the urge to resist too tempting.

9. Do share. If you are eating out during the holiday season, possibly try and share a meal. If you are shopping and eating out quickly, decide what you are going to eat and what is reasonable and put it aside. Throw the rest away at the beginning of the meal so you are not tempted to overeat. Portion sizes at restaurants are very large and usually more than we need at one meal.

10. Do remember to slow down and eat slowly. During the holiday season we are so rushed for time. If you eat slowly, you will feel full before you overeat. You are better off eating a little something slowly and then eating again a couple of hours later.

These are some tips that have helped me through the holidays. If you have a bad day, know that one bad day won't ruin your plans. However, if you have lots of bad days...like the whole month of December...you will have some back-tracking to do with your healthy eating and exercise.

Happy Holidays! Enjoy!