Holiday Spirits Weight Loss. Written by: Sandra Gultry, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Weight Loss and Health Coach who resides in Orlando, Florida.
Holiday Spirits – Add the Joy, without Hindering Weight Loss Goals!
The holidays can put even the most diligent dieter in worry mode. Afterall, ’tis the season to encounter all your favorite foods — including many that can tip the scale in the wrong direction.
So, you have the best intentions of getting through the holidays without gaining weight, but your resolve vanishes with one or two drinks of wine, beer, or eggnog…
Below are four (4 ) “essential nuggets” for staying in charge of your holiday spirts (and eating) while enjoying the holidays at the same time still stay on track with your weight loss goals.
“(Nugget #1) Alcohol Is Sneaky” Logic would tell you that if you consume 300 calories by drinking two glasses of wine, your body will compensate, and you’ll eat less than if you hadn’t had the wine.
Not quite that cut and dry.nFluid calories from alcohol don’t give as strong a feeling of fullness, so people tend to eat more. Other beverages such as soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, or specialty teas or coffees have a similar effect. But on the flip side, those calories from moderate use of alcohol may not do as much damage as calories from pecan pie. What is moderate drinking??? (1 drink/day women and 2 drinks/day men) – A topic for another day 😊
(Nugget #2) Common question…. Should You Eat Before a Holiday Event? When you know alcohol is on the menu. Try to follow your normal routine. Eat breakfast in the morning and have snacks as usual. Even with the big event/meal/feast is at 5 p.m. don’t skip that all important 3 pm snack (light, but something). This snack will take the edge off your appetite. Also having food in your stomach is also important to slow the absorption of alcohol.
“(Nugget #3) Have a Holiday Game Plan” Do you to go two or three Christmas parties/events in December? Do you eat at multiple houses on Christmas day? Real question is do you have to overindulge at all of them? One party doesn’t put you over the top, but if you go to two or three parties a week you could add 700 to 1,000 calories depending on what you drink
The easy answer is avoiding alcohol (non-alcoholic mixed drinks) altogether. Two drinks coming in at 300 calories on the low end – what if you only need 1200 calories per day, the extra calories add up quickly. Is avoiding alcohol (non-alcoholic mixed drinks) realistic???? Likely not if you enjoy having holiday spirits.
One solution: Eat sensible before arriving at the event. Continue to drink what you would drink, but purposely watch what you eat, and compensate for those calories by eating less of other things. You will need to make a conscious effort because the beverages don’t lead to a clear satiety signal that would cause you to spontaneously stop eating.
Another solution: Limit your favorite holiday drink to 1 and still watch how much you eat. At least this way you have the best of both worlds without added pounds come January!
(Nugget #4) Eat and Drink in Moderation — and Enjoy the Holidays. This may surprise you, but it’s actually easier to prevent weight gain than to take weight off. Falling down at the holidays usually undermines confidence both in yourself and your weight loss efforts. Because we feel defeated, we wait until much later in the year to attempt losing the gained weight
Unless the holidays and all the festivities truly DON’T phase you, don’t approach the holidays thinking you’ll lose weight – unless you have trained support in your corner such as a RD. Reason being, you’ll set yourself up to fail, and you won’t be able to enjoy food without feeling guilty. I encourage my client to focus on weight maintenance as this affords more calories than when in ‘weight loss’ mode. This way you will still enjoy the holidays without feeling deprived, guilty or left out
What are Holiday Spirits and Impacts on Weight Loss?
Any Non-alcoholic and Alcoholic beverage. If its not water – it’s a beverage with calories!
Non-Alcoholic Holiday Spirits Impacts on Weight Loss
Many people ‘drink‘ and ‘eat‘ their calories. Regardless of the modality, its still more calories going in than the body needs. Non-Alcoholic drinks contain added sugar and usually leads to a false sense of fullness. If you hang around the party long enough – you will want to eat. Packing on more calories.
Alcoholic Drinks Holiday Spirits Impacts on Weight Loss
Most people who drink alcohol tend to either drink or eat, but not both (at least initially). Alcoholic beverages tend to interfere with hungry cues – temporarily. In this case, we are taking in double the calories from the alcohol itself PLUS the chaser (if added). Again, if you hang around the party long enough – you will want to eat. Packing on more calories.
What to do Instead to Balance Holiday Spirits and Weight Loss…
- Stretch your drinks. Add sparkling water or ice cubes, and nurse a drink all night.
- For mixed drinks, use diet soda, low-calorie fruit juice, or seltzer.
- Choose lower-calorie drinks, such as dry wine, instead of eggnog.
- Have the bartender mix a skinny version of a favorite, like the White Russian. Mix 1.5 ounces each of Kahlua and vodka with 2 ounces of soymilk for a total of ~298 calories compared with ~508 calories when made with cream. Make it with nonfat milk for a total of ~251 calories.
Give yourself permission to enjoy! Don’t make the event more than what it is. Recognize that overeating is normal in these situation. The goal is to not get stuffed!
Have your “holiday spirit” and eat too – unless you truly prefer just to drink water. Doing it sensibly is key. Limit to 1-2 drinks and eat without feeling stuffed. I encourage my clients to maintain current weight going into the holiday season as this affords many liberties without feeling deprived.
PS: Never attend a holiday event or meal hungry! Treat the day just like any other day and eat your normal meals leading up to the event/meal.
Additional Tips to Balance Holiday Spirits and Weight Loss:
- Avoid drinking on an empty stomach
- Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks (ideally at least 8 oz water)
- Avoid combining alcohol with energy drinks
- Eat before, and while, you are drinking
Transport and Safety when Indulging in Holiday Spirits
Transport and safety:
- Don’t drink and drive.
- Organize a skipper/designated driver when going out.
- Be sure to bring enough money for a taxi.
- Never get into a car if the driver has been drinking or taking drugs
Take Away Message
Holiday Spirits and Weight Loss may work togther hand in and when done responsible.
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