10 Ways to Enjoy Healthy Holidays

Happy Halloween! Today kicks off the holiday season; a parade of parties, feasts, and many other occasions to stuff ourselves silly. How do we have fun without busting out of our jeans?
1. Keep exercising. Well duh! you say, and you’re right. Exercise is our first line of defense against bigger pants, but many of us get overwhelmed during the holidays and exercise is often the first thing to go. Sweat first thing in the morning so it’s done and out of the way. Take short walking breaks during the day. Squeeze in tiny bits wherever you can, because six five minute stair climbs or squats while you brush your teeth add up to a good workout.
2. Be the one to bring the veggies. You can’t go wrong with veggies. Either try a new veggie dish to knock everyone’s socks off or stick to the good old veggie platter. By the way, precut veggie platters are pretty steep. If you have a few minutes, buy and cut the veggies yourself and save a few bucks.
3. Develop buffet-management skills. Scan the entire spread before you start loading your plate. Fill half your plate with veggies (you brought those, right?) and take only a few other items. We tend to overeat when faced with a variety, so keep your plate simple and go back for more if you’re still hungry. Try to stick with just one dessert, but I have a hard time with this and usually end up with a dollop of everything.
4. Decide ahead when you’ve going to indulge. If your family slaves over delicious, homemade desserts and your in-laws serve store-bought goodies, indulge at your family’s party, but forgo the empty calories at your in-laws. Decide which occasions you’ll have a dessert and the rest of the time, stay with your usual healthy habits.
5. Eat healthy meals the rest of the time. If you’re at a party every three days, skip the fattier meals in your usual repertoire and lighten up a little. Let the party fare replace your usual indulgences.
6. Make sure it’s worth it. Is that dry, store-bought cookie worth the calories? Probably not. Try this tip from Taste of Home magazine: “Rate treats on a scale of one to ten. If it’s not a nine or a ten, don’t eat it!” Don’t waste calories and stomach space on lousy treats. Be a snob. Settle for nothing less than the best.
7. Get some sleep! A lack of sleep can fire up our appetites because our bodies are low on energy and want to eat to compensate. Set a bedtime and get your recommended seven to eight hours.
8. Don’t beat yourself up if you overindulge; just choose something healthier next time. So what if you monopolized the dessert table at the office party? Have a spinach salad with fish for dinner, go for a jog and don’t worry about it. Everybody messes up sometimes, just jump back on your healthy plan. You can’t undo the calories, so why worry?
9. Never show up starving. If you walk into a party with your stomach growling, no amount of planning or good intentions will stop you from wiping out the buffet. Have a small snack before you leave, like an apple with non-hydrogenated peanut butter or yogurt with berries. You’ll still be hungry for a meal, but not ravenous.
10. Keep a glass of water in your dominate hand. Not only will the water help fill you up, it’ll slow you down and keep you from reaching for extra nibbles in tastes.