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Five Commandments to Avoid Gaining Weight This Christmas

Overindulging is the order of the day. Relatives from out of town arrive. The table is set long before Christmas Eve dinner and before any toasts have been made. What can you do to survive so many temptations?

To tackle this situation that can easily spoil the Christmas spirit, we suggest five commandments to help you make it through to December 31 without the stress of carrying around any unwanted pounds.

Five Commandments to Avoid Gaining Weight This Christmas
  1. Don´t snack.A lot of the extra pounds we gain come from eating before sitting down for a meal. This often consists of "tasting" each one of the dishes before they make it to the dining room where your guests anxiously await. To avoid this, have a tray of light appetizers ready in the kitchen: a piece of cheese, sliced fruit, a couple of crackers, but nothing that will endanger your next visit to the scale.
  2. Don't drink.Just as with the tray of light appetizers, prepare "a diet bar" before the party starts.  During this time make sure you're never short on diet drinks or water, and if you want to cut yourself some slack, have a light beer or a glass of wine. However, limit it to just that.
  3. Say "no" to porkIt's best to stay away from pork, beef and lamb during the holidays. Choose turkey because it has less fat and fewer calories. The calories in a 100-gram serving of barbecued pork range from about 260 to 310, while the same amount of turkey has just around 200 calories. Of course, you should never pass up fish, which can be prepared in an infinite number of ways.
  4. Say "no" to sweets.Avoiding cakes and pies is the hardest part. Instead of indulging in these, have a plate of fruit for dessert, and to vary things a bit for Christmas, top it with a bit of light cream.
  5. Say "no" to leftovers.There is nothing more tempting than leftovers from the previous night's feast. However, don't let your efforts go to waste in front of the goody-filled refrigerator. Concentrate on how many of these small goals you have achieved over the last few days, and it will be easier for you to take on the next challenge.

Why is this? Because now the pounds are in your favor, and as they melt away, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you have done what's best for you.

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