Five Tips for Staying Thin in the New Year

We’ve all heard this — and its many variations — before: New Year’s Resolution Number One: Lose Weight.  Shed Pounds.  Cut the Fat.  Fit in That Tiny Bikini By Spring.  The holidays have always been an excuse for sudden weight gain, and as far as common sense goes, there’s no weight to lose if you didn’t gain it in the first place.  Realistically, staying thin in the new year can be almost an impossibility to many. But with the following tips and wisdom, you can manage to keep the weight under control without depriving yourself from eating the best treats the holidays are very much famous for.

1) Taste your way through a huge meal ” The trick during the holidays is there are too many foods on the table.  With parties celebrating a feasting spread of appetizers, main courses, desserts and the traditional dishes, we were are all tempted to try everything.  Don’t be afraid to try everything in the new year!  Just make sure they are of reasonable, small portions.  You don’t want to get full with the turkey if there are at least ten more dishes to sample, do you? This is a great tip to implement in 2011’s holidays to help you keep that waist little.

2) Keep with your exercise routine ” I know it’s cold and it’s nicer inside, curled up under the sheets, not moving and just eating.  That’s a shortcut to those extra five pounds you will somehow mysteriously gain overnight.  Crank up the heat by doing the basic exercises: walking, running, or maybe dancing.  Again, think that exercise is part of the routine and not a chore.  Make sure to sweat it out and burn the calories up.

3) Respond to your cravings with moderation ” it was hard being “on a diet”during the holidays.  Some people tend to deprive themselves, and then binge on unhealthy foods when they finally find an excuse.  When you want to have some cake, have a slice, maybe half of what you would usually eat.  Remember, moderation is key, and when you do have that cake do not forget that you owe yourself a round of healthy meals and maybe an extra mile when you go out running.  Think of countermeasures as rewards, not punishment.

4) The holidays is not just about food ” Some may argue that a huge chunk of the holidays is to eat, drink, and then eat more.  Although it is nice to have something on the plate while catching up with friends and family, you can change your thinking about the holidays by highlighting something else.  You can introduce games and other activities without having to emphasize the necessity of food even if you’re not hungry.  Have your dining table take a breather from the weight of holiday plates throughout the day by replacing them with healthy bowls of fruit, nuts and other healthier snacks.

5) Plan a healthy holiday meal ” This is probably a no-brainer, but another important practice in staying thin and managing weight is to be strategic on what you eat and what you serve.  If you put healthy, well-balanced meals on the table, you are doing yourself and your loved ones an important service.  Remember, healthy dishes can taste as good as the yummy, deep-fried ones.  Be smart with what you cook and what you eat, it can’t be as simpler as that.

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