You know how it goes. You walk into your annual Christmas party and make a beeline to Aunt Jo’s famous black and white cookies. You grab a handful of spiced pecans on the way. The hostess hands you a mug of eggnog, the glass brimming with whipped cream.
Before you know it, you’re so stuffed you’re tugging at your pants and asking yourself how that happened again.
it doesn’t have to be that way. This year you can be armed & ready with a plan.
1. Don’t go hungry. Eat well throughout the day leading up to the party and have a snack before you go. Showing up hungry will set you up for disaster. Don’t worry- you’ll still have enough room for peppermint bark and hot toddies.
2. Scope out the scene. You don’t have to eat every single item served. Glance around at all your options- then choose the ones that look the best.
3. Be stingy. Sometimes you just have to have some of everything, so keep your portions to minimum- a spoonful of dip, a single mini quiche, half a glass of cider. There will always be room for more later.
4. Load up on healthier options. Fill your plate with healthy options first- like veggies. You’ll have less room for the more indulgent choices- both on your plate and in your belly.
5. Know the bad guys. While no food is off limits, it’s wise to know which foods may be hiding a calorie laden surprise. Be careful when it comes to nuts, creamy drinks like eggnog and rich hot chocolate, and cheese-heavy dips.
6. Put it all out there. Put everything you’re eating on a plate. Being able to see it all together gives you a better idea of how much you’re eating.
7. Slow down! You don’t have to try everything within 5 minutes of walking in the door. Eat slowly, and don’t worry about spreading your choices throughout the night.
8. Leave the boring stuff for someone else. You can eat chips and pretzels any day- why waste it on a holiday party? Stick with things you don’t get to eat often instead.
9. Keep tabs on alcohol. Alcohol has calories too- and they count. Plus, alcohol lowers your inhibitions, making you throw all your good eating plans out the window. Alternate alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic, low calorie drinks to keep things in check.
10. Walk away from the table. It’s not going anywhere, I promise. Mingle on the other side of the room- you can always walk back to the table later.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or give a hoot }
Thanks for the tips – they’ll be really useful over the next few weeks!
What great tips! I find #10 to be the most difficult one to follow myself, as I tend to congregate around the table and then wonder later why my pants don’t fit the way they did when I first walked in :p This is really great to keep in mind throughout the year, as it can apply to birthday parties, showers, weddings, etc.
Found you through the Lady Bloggers tea party and am so happy to have stopped in today. You have such a cute blog here!
Boo, did my last comment erase??
Essentially I wanted to say that I have this very same problem at holiday parties so this is a very helpful bulleted list of things to keep in mind (and also throughout the year!).
Stopping in from the Lady Bloggers tea party; you have such a cute blog!
Came by from LBS. Great tips! I struggle a lot with all kinds of social eating.
Came by from LBS, great tips.