'Tis the Season to Watch Your Weight

Now that the Thanksgiving leftovers have been finished, are you afraid to get on the scale?  Are you worried about the consequences of continued holiday eating?  For many people, Thanksgiving, with second helpings of stuffing and pumpkin pie, is followed by Christmas parties, with egg nog and fruitcake, Christmas dinner, which repeats Thanksgiving overeating, New Year's parties with too much champagne, followed by Super Bowl get-togethers characterized by overdoses of chips and beer.  Before you give-up and reconcile yourself to gaining weight this holiday season, I have a few suggestions:

First, recognize that your normal "eating environment" has changed.  You can expect to find tempting high calorie treats in places that you wouldn't ordinarily associate with eating.  Plates of brownies or sugar cookies along with bowls of candies appear on coworkers desks, on counters in stores, or at friends houses.  Prepare yourself to resist temptation, or if you must give in, do so consciously.  You can make an agreement with yourself to forgo a treat that you would have had later in the day if you absolutely can't resist the goodies that are calling your name.

Second, plan for holiday parties and meals.  Tell your partner what you plan to eat and what you will avoid.  Making a public pronouncement before you get there will help strengthen your resolve.  At party buffets, spend most of your time in the room with the least amount of food and position yourself with your back to the food table so you aren't tempted to nibble mindlessly.  Carry a glass of sparkling water with ice cubes to keep your hands busy while you socialize.  If you've already got a glass in your hands it's more difficult to eat.  If you're going to have alcohol, avoid high-calorie mixed drinks and have your alcoholic beverage with a meal (which you'd eat anyway) rather than with snacks.

Third, anticipate holiday stresses to minimize emotional eating.  Crowded shopping malls, trying to find the "perfect" gift, or feeling sad because a loved one isn't with you to celebrate can trigger the urge to eat.  My book, Body Intelligence: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, and Feel Great About Your Body Without Dieting!  (McGraw-Hill, $14.95) has practical suggestions for dealing with emotions without eating.  If a friend or relative usually encourages you to "just try a little" or have seconds "so it doesn't go to waste", have a polite, but assertive response ready so that you can avoid unnecessary eating.

Fourth, with inclement weather and shorter days, it easy to give up outdoor physical activities so it's important to find indoor activities to take their place.  Make several laps around the mall before starting to shop, put disco music on the stereo and dance around the living room, or work-up a sweat vigorously vacuuming the carpet.  Even when it's wet, cold, and dark outside your body still needs movement.

Finally, keep track of what you eat.  Carry a 3 x 5 card with you and write down everything that you eat.  One study found that dieters who consistently recorded their eating during the holidays maintained their weight losses while dieters who didn't self-monitor regained weight.

This time of year presents lots of temptations but with a little planning you can enjoy the holidays without feeling deprived and still avoid gaining weight.

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Edward Abramson, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in Lafayette, California and the author of Body Intelligence: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, and Feel Great About Your Body Without Dieting! (McGraw-Hill, $14.95), and three other books on weight and dieting.  His website is: www.dredabramson.com