Can You Eat This Holiday Season and Not Gain Weight?

Is it actually conceivable to get through the holiday season without gaining ten pounds? It does seem virtually impossible doesn't it? The cookies, the gravy, the meats, the breads the list goes on and on. Your family members will be stuffing you every second of the week this holiday season and it is your responsibility to eat with caution!

Being that I have worked in a gym in my past, people always ask me questions on how to stay fit during the holidays. It seems to be one of those things that people just gain weight and put up with it versus actually aiming to prevent it from happening in the first place. So it is possible to have an enjoyable holiday season and not gain? Yes, it actually can happen. The first tip I like to share with people is to watch what you are consuming the week of your big holiday feast. If you know you will be eating very heavy on a Friday, then perhaps on Wednesday through Thursday you can make some very light food choices. Have a salad for lunch, cereal for breakfast and baked chicken for dinner, things like this. That way, your body is already going down the scale before the big feasting day arrives, working with you not against you. I know, it seems like a challenge with all the Christmas cookies spread about your home and even inside your work office, but you can do it just for one or two days to really enjoy that big meal you have been craving!

That same week leading up to your meal, watch what you consume in drinks. I cannot stress this enough, people do not realize how many calories they are consuming each day on drinks. That fancy coffee you love at Starbucks...probably a cool three to four hundred calories. Sodas, even fruit juices can be very high in caloric content. Drink water instead as much as possible and brewed teas, or light soft drinks with zero calories. It is worth the sacrifice and you will feel even more energized after the second day of not having your body consume so much sugar and caffeine. Always get smaller portions the day of the big feast, you do not need a fist full portion of gravy, taste in smaller increments then you can more! Do not eat the skin if you can enjoy it without it. Turkeys and such tend to have fatty skins on them, this can help avoid excess calories. Have a healthy snack before you leave your house. Sounds silly, but a handful of carrots or a bowl of cold cereal can help you maintain your weight during the holidays.

Keep A Food Journal For Weight Loss

Are you looking to lose weight, but aren't sure of how to begin? Have you had problems losing weight in the past? One thing that can help tremendously in losing weight is keeping a food journal. Yes, writing down everything you eat might seem tedious at first, but you will see very quickly that it is worth the effort.

First, start making the food journal *before* you start your weight loss plan.  Not only does it make you more aware of exactly what it is you are putting in your body, it gives you a 'visual' to help you decide what changes to make as time goes on. If you utilize the food journal correctly you will write down every snack, drink and meal that you consume each day for about one week. By doing this you can then begin to create your weight loss plan going forward. Take the week that you worth down all of your foods and add the calories up for each day. Next, go onto to free calorie weight chart and see how close you were to the amount of calories you need to maintain your current weight. If you are way over that amount then you know what you need to do to lose the weight. If you are under then look closely at the foods you were eating. Were they high in fat or sugar? How many servings of vegetables and fruits did you consume during the week? Look closely at the food choices you were making and in most cases you will notice there are many poor food choices that you will need to change.

Next, you must begin your new weight loss food plan and map out the entire week or weeks ahead of you with which meals and snacks you will be eating. Track your progress in your food journal and write everything down, even the times when you may cheat off of your diet and they can be very crucial. When you write it all down you are not only receiving the benefits of learning exactly how many calories you are consuming each day, but you are also noticing a pattern as far as which times of the day you are more prone to stray from your diet and when you need to play close attention to having the right foods in the house to avoid those occurrences in the near future. You will continue the food entries into your journal for quite some time after you have reached your weight loss goals to track your progression and to also look into any changes you may need make for the future. You will also receive other benefits by keeping a food journal such as which foods may be making you sick and which foods result in giving you more energy during the day and which ones make you tired as well.