Dear Santa, I want to lose weight for Christmas!

Avoid temptation: Invest in the desserts your really want. If there is a bowl of candy on the table, but you really want Aunt Carol’s famous Christmas pie, avoid the candy, save those calories for the items you really want! Its okay to indulge in sweets occasionally and still stay on the weight loss track, just keep your portion sizes small and your eye on the overall goal.

Eat a high-fiber snack before mealtime. Foods that are high in fiber help fill you up. Eating a high-fiber snack will help you avoid the munchies later on in the day and will help control your portions at mealtime. Even though you are mentally gearing yourself up for a good holiday meal, don’t skip out on small healthy snacks so you can eat more for that meal—It will only cause you to overeat in general and deter you from your weight loss goals.

Drink caloric beverages for pleasure, not for thirst. If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, or even just calorie-laden beverages like punch, keep in mind that drinking should be for pleasure not for satisfying your thirst. Try drinking a glass of water before you drink an alcoholic beverage. This will cut down on excess calories consumed from satisfying your thirst as opposed to drinking for pleasure.

Drink in moderation; this means 1-2 drinks for women and 2-3 drinks for men. If moderation is an issue; try alternating alcohol with non-alcoholic reduced-calorie or calorie-free beverages like water, Crystal Light, or sugar-free Kool-Aid.
Choose a variety of foods on your plate. It is reasonable to assume that you might be eating more than one meal at someone else’s home during the holidays. Choose foods that you like, but vary those choices so you get the opportunity to try everything- but not all in one meal.

Don’t forget to exercise. Exercise is very important to achieving your weight loss goals. If you normally exercise for thirty minutes, try fitting in three 10- minute walks to keep you on track with your normal fitness/workout patterns.
Be aware of cooking methods. Avoid cooking or preparation methods that increase calories and fat such as; frying, heavy cream sauces, breaded items, salads with dressings already added, or excess toppings (i.e. cheese, or bacon).

Alter your recipes to make them more figure-friendly. Use egg whites instead of eggs, use a low-sodium chicken broth in mashed potatoes to avoid adding excess butter, substitute applesauce for butter or margarine in muffins or quick breads, choose a reduced or non-fat cheese for salads or casseroles, or use non-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.

Socialize away from the food area. If you like to socialize near the kitchen, move the conversation away from the food so you will not be tempted to grab something to eat within arms reach that you really do not want. Sometimes socializing near the food area promotes mindless eating. Avoid this by turning mindless eating into mindful eating!

Prepare for outings. If you are going out on an all-day shopping trip, prepare for your day and take along a snack! Items such as a small bag of carrots, high fiber granola bar, small bag of almonds, 100-calorie snack packs, or a fruit cup are all non-perishable snack items that will help you maintain energy during your trip and keep you from splurging on something you shouldn’t.

Leave what you do not want. When we were little the “happy plate” rule got us a one way ticket to eating dessert. Now that you’re older, you decide what it is that you want to eat. It’s okay to leave something on your plate if you are full or simply changed your mind. It’s your meal, you have the right to alter, make changes, or substitute items on your plate anytime!