Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, Americans gain an average of one pound over the holidays. While it doesn't seem like a lot of weight, that one pound can stay with you for good and add up over time.

The following are five tips to help you enjoy holiday treats, but without the weight gain:

1. Reserve your calories for the best. When you attend a holiday event, decide on one or two ?unhealthier? choices that you will eat, making sure they are foods you really like. Keep your portions small. For example, a reasonable portion of cornbread dressing or macaroni and cheese is ? cup, or the size of ? orange.

2. Focus on the festivities, not the food. During your holiday dinners, focus on enjoying the atmosphere and the conversations around you. The point of the holidays is not to eat, but to enjoy fellowship with your friends and loved ones.

3. Put leftovers away immediately. If you are hosting a holiday event, store leftovers immediately after everyone is served. Often, we overeat just because the food is there. By putting the food away, you minimize this temptation.

4. Make healthier substitutions when you can. Substitute some of the unhealthier ingredients in your favorite recipes with healthier ones. According to Chris Rosenbloom, a nutrition instructor at Georgia State University, the following are some substitutions you can make:

Whole milk: Use either 1 percent, 2 percent, or skim milk.

Cream cheese: Use light or fat-free cream.

Egg yolk: Use one egg white or liquid egg substitute.

Oil for baking: Use applesauce (yellow cake recipes) or baby food prunes (chocolate recipes) equal to amount of oil called for in the recipe.

Sugar: Reduce to 3/4 cup sugar if the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar.

5. Kick up the action a notch. Focus on increasing your physical activity during the holidays to burn up any extra calories you have eaten. For example, take a 15 minute walk after dinner, play with your children, or perform some situps or jumping jacks during television commercials.

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