Strategic planning helps avoid holiday weight gain

I know you don't want to think about it (frankly neither do I), but the year's biggest holiday season starts in a matter of days. Don't panic.

True, food plays an integral role in holiday festivities, and you might be thinking: "I can't do this; there's just too much temptation."

No doubt, there's going to be a ton of temptation over the next seven weeks. And, to be blunt, statistics show that most folks who start off their holiday season closely monitoring their food plan, give it all up shortly after Thanksgiving Day. Here are some tips and tricks to help you keep your weight-maintenance promises throughout this season.

Learn to say no. Knowing that you'll frequently be tempted, practice saying "No, thank you." Say "No" firmly, but in a nonconfrontational way. Give your "No" an upbeat tone. Each successful "No, thanks," gets you one step closer to your season-end goal.

Does this mean total denial? No. Constant deprivation's a fool's game that almost always leads to overindulgence. So, give yourself a limited indulgence window for a bite or a small sample. But, and this is a big BUT, only do so if you know - for certain - that one small cookie or a single homemade candy piece won't lead to another, and then another. If you can stop at just one, then stop with that one.

Let your plate be your guide. So you're at the buffet table. You were good and had a piece of fruit a half-hour before leaving your house so that you didn't arrive at this gathering so hungry you could eat the holiday centerpiece. Still, you're ready for something festive to eat.

Take a dinner plate and head for the salads. Load that big plate with greens and veggies (pass on the cheese) then be a Scrooge with the dressing. I like to lightly salt and generously pepper my salad at this point to bump-up the flavors without adding calories.

For the main course, use a salad plate and look for things that you know (do not assume) will be light in calories and fat. Avoid anything coated with a cheese sauce or topped with fried onions. Head for veggies and lean meat; skinless white meat turkey has a mere 4 percent calories from fat while dark meat from the same bird has 31 percent fat; still better than a slice of marbled prime rib.

Avoid eggnog. A single cup of classic eggnog delivers 70 more calories than a cup of a chocolate shake. Yep, a whopping 343 calories (49.9 percent from fat) and 19 fat grams.

Also pass on spiked punch and holiday cocktails. Distilled alcohol delivers 7 calories per gram. And a mixed drink can also be loaded with sugar. But, it's not just the calories; even a single drink can reduce your ability to make smart mealtime decisions.

Keep on truckin'. Over the next few weeks, some folks who've been exercising regularly, stop - temporarily - (or so they think) due to difficult weather and busy schedules.

If you must miss your full workout, head out for a brisk 30-minute walk every other day; doing so will increase the likelihood of returning to your regular workouts and reduce the likelihood of weight gain. Consider having a friend join you.

By utilizing these tips and tricks you'll still have a terrific holiday season and enjoy all of the good things that it brings.

Try this recipe: Canned cranberry sauce seems perfectly fine until you try fresh cranberry relish that explodes with flavor. Take a taste of this and you'll wonder why they ever thought of canning cranberry sauce in the first place.

• Don Mauer welcomes comments, questions and recipe makeover requests. Write him at don@theleanwizard.com.

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