Don't Pack on the pounds During the Holidays!

By John McCain

Be prepared for the holidays, because the endless assortment of tasty temptations is just around the corner! It’s easy to fall into the unhealthy mindset of deciding to eat everything that’s set before you as well intentioned loved ones present you with a cornucopia of mouth watering meals and delicious desserts. Stay away from thinking that you can’t change those unhealthy decisions during the holidays.

Decide right now, just prior to the holidays, to continue to take your supplements, drink your protein shakes and make the majority of your meal choices healthy and balanced. This does not mean you can not have your cheat meals or cheat days. Just be prepared for all the temptations that you will be presented in the next two months and plan ahead. Plan on the surprise pot luck, plan on the office party celebrations and get ready for the invitation to the festive meal at the family home.

Resolve now to eat properly most of the time and then allow yourself those occasional days of indulgence. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you only have two extreme choices: “Either I have to give up everything that’s being offered to me and rigidly stick to a healthy plan or I have to eat everything I’m offered and then resign myself to putting on an extra 5, 10 or 15 pounds during the holidays and then start all over at the first of the year.”

Chances are very good that you will be invited to numerous special meals with your family, friends and loved ones. Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, work parties or pot lucks, when you’re there, just be wise about your decisions. Choose to have a little more turkey and a little less stuffing. Have another slice of ham and not as much mashed potatoes. Eat more green salad than corn. Just be conscious of the decisions you’re making and that you’re filling your plate up with more of the foods that are healthy for you. Most of the parties will have both healthy foods and filler foods available, so stay away from filling your plate with the filler foods.

Choose wisely my friends and start eating healthy now! You will feel better and you’ll enjoy the holidays more when you have this awareness. Develop the mental attitude of going into the holidays with a plan to stay balanced while choosing mostly healthy meals each day. Remember, you can still have your cheat days or cheat meals, just don’t allow them to roll into cheat months! If you do, then you may literally be rolling into the new year with a lot of extra baggage attached to your waistline!