Bellevue Nutritionist, Angela Pifer, writes: Worried about the effects of the holidays on your waistline? Here are 6 tried and true quick tip strategies that I recommend in my practice that will help your waistline love the holidays as much as you do.

1. Offer to bring a healthy dish to holiday parties

If you’re concerned about the unhealthy array of foods that are bound to be served at an upcoming function, call ahead and ask the host if you can bring a healthy dish. Chances are the host will be happy to have some help with the overwhelming task of pleasing a hungry crowd!

For appetizers, you could bring a vegetable platter with low-fat dip; a colorful fruit platter with a dip made from nonfat yogurt, whole wheat pita triangles served with hummus; or baked tortilla chips with chunky salsa and/or fat-free refried bean dip.

2. Don’t “hang out” at the appetizer table when socializing at a party

It’s hard to believe how much those small handfuls of munchies add up at a party. I observed a stranger’s eating habits while socializing at a holiday party to see what kind of calories we’re capable of consuming before the holiday meal. The following appetizers were consumed in the two hours before the meal (see if you can guess how many calories this added up to):

4 rye crackers with about 1/2 ounce of soft cheese

3 bunches of grapes

3 handfuls of mixed nuts

2 glasses of wine

1 handful M&Ms with nuts

2 pieces broccoli with about 1 Tbsp cream cheese dip

Total: 1,209 calories, 60 g fat, 28 g protein, 110 g carbohydrate

This adds up, especially when you consider these totals make up more than half the total daily calories needed by the average active person. People who socialize away from the appetizer tables were less apt to subconsciously pick at the food. Instead, they will usually fill one small plate of food and then called it quits. Make a conscious effort to position yourself away from the hors d’oeuvres at a holiday function.

3. Try recipe modification

Many people worry about a cooking disaster when preparing a large meal during the holidays and therefore don’t want to experiment with new ingredients. But often times these new ingredients enhance both the nutritional value and the flavor of the dish.

For example, I prepared a batch of muffins using a traditional recipe with oil and another batch substituting applesauce for the oil (1:1 replacement ratio). Of course the recipe modification enhanced the nutritional value of the muffins, but the tasters actually rated the flavor and overall satisfaction of the modified muffin recipe higher than the traditional recipe.

Making modifications of your favorite recipes can make the dish healthier, and perhaps even tastier. To avoid a potential cooking disaster, you can always practice the modified recipe before the big day.

4. Beware of liquid calories, especially alcohol

Alcohol actually contains almost as many calories per gram as fat (seven calories vs. nine calories per gram, respectively). Alcohol also tends to lower our inhibitions, which means you’ll be less careful about what and how much we indulge at the party. So instead of reaching for the bubbly, rotate a non-caloric drink like diet soda, water or spritzer into the mix. That way you’ll be able to allocate more of your calorie budget on the delicious holiday foods you enjoy. The following table offers a detailed list of drinks and calories. But, beware, most ‘servings’ double when served at parties.

Calories Found in Alcoholic Beverages

Beverage Serving size                     Calories

Beer 12 ounces                                    160

Light Beer 12 ounces                        100

Non-alcoholic Beer 12 ounces        32

Red Wine 4 ounces                               85

White Wine 4 ounces                          80

Wine Cooler 8 ounces                       120

Daiquiri 4 ounces                               225

Margarita 4 ounces                           270

Gin and tonic 4 ounces                    150

Pina colada 4 ounces                        262

5. Enjoy the party not the food

Holiday gatherings are social functions that are notorious for uncontrolled nibbling. The best way to curb your intake this time of year is to have a light but healthy dinner before you go to the party. If you do like to nibble while being social, stick with vegetable and fruit trays or a deli platter. Another option to eliminate nibbling (and one of my favorite tricks) is to have a tin of powerful breath mints handy. Pop one of those little guys in your mouth and your taste buds will be overwhelmed …nothing will taste very good after that. Another bonus to this method is fresh breath so everyone will enjoy talking to you!

6. Get rid of leftovers

If you host a holiday gathering and serve traditional but less than healthy food … get rid of the leftovers. Package it up and insist your guests take it home. If your guest list includes health conscious athletes like yourself and they decline your generous offer then just throw it away. However, if you cannot bear the thought of chucking the cheesecake then at least wrap it up and place it in the freezer to enjoy at a later date.

Gaining control over your food choices during this time of the year can set the stage for positive eating habits. What a great way to enter a new year … healthy, rejuvenated and without any inches added to your waistline!

Angela Pifer, MSN, CN Bellevue Nutritionist

Bellevue Weight Loss Programs that Get Results! I work Nationally through Skype

www.NutritionNorthwest.com

Whether for business or pleasure, one of the joys of traveling is enjoying the food. Unfortunately, eating out for four days straight can put some pressure on your waistband. Even if you enter the trip with the thought that you are not going to overdo it, that thought is often thrown out the window with each passing day. Though ‘trip’ and ‘healthy eating’ don’t commonly go together it is possible to enjoy yourself AND stick to your plan. Going on a trip doesn’t have to mean blowing your diet. Have the belief that dining out can be healthy and enjoyable at the same time.  First, let’s look at what obstacles get in the way of healthy eating on a trip and then let’s see what you can do about it.

It is easy to get distracted during the day when traveling. Coffee or sweets often serve as an on-the-go breakfast. You may be sightseeing or tied up in meetings all day, and by the time you reach the restaurant your blood sugar has hit rock bottom. You are so famished that you order comfort food and while you are waiting you eat the fried appetizer and the entire bread basket. When the waiter comes back to inquire about dessert, you quip, ‘I really shouldn’t’, but that chocolate cake is calling you, and so the excuse ‘I am on vacation’ kicks in.

Here are three easy-to-follow strategies for navigating your trip:

One. Eat breakfast. By taking a moment in the morning to choose a healthier, leaner breakfast you will be less likely to overeat in the evening. It is extremely important to include some protein with breakfast. A stack of pancakes or cereal will fill you up momentarily, but your hunger will return quickly unless you include protein. Healthier choices include eggs and fruit, oatmeal with nuts, whole grain toast with nut butter, yogurt and fruit or an omelet.  If you would like to take this a step further, pack 1 Cup of high fiber cereal in a baggie with 12 raw almonds for a breakfast-on-the go that you can eat like trail mix. This option is light and easy to pack with you in the morning..

Two. Pack healthy snacks. This is perhaps THE best strategy for maintaining some semblance of control in your restaurant choices. By including a snack midmorning and midafternoon you will be less hungry when you reach the restaurant and more apt to make healthier choices. A healthy snack has the following three elements:

1.                   75% carbohydrate: 25% protein.

2.                  Has 200-300 calories.

3.                  Is convenient to carry and eat.

Energy bars are a great option for travel. Just be sure that the bar contains > 3 grams of fiber and >3 grams of protein and falls between 200 and 300 calories (my favorite is Raw Organic bars at Whole Foods). Dried fruit and raw nuts are another great option and an even more natural ‘energy bar’ on-the-go. Five dried apricots and fifteen raw almonds meet all three healthy snack elements listed above and will easily fit into a bag or briefcase.

Three. Choose healthier restaurant options.  When you do reach the restaurant, choose menu options with the following low-fat cooking terms: grilled, poached, roasted, steamed, broiled, stewed, braised or simmered.   

Tips for choosing a restaurant:

1.       Select the restaurant carefully – avoid restaurants that serve exclusively fried foods.

2.      Call ahead to find out what is on the menu – most restaurants have their menus listed online.

3.      Avoid “All You Can Eat” places.

4.      Exercise portion control – steer clear of menu descriptions such as jumbo, grande, supreme, king-size, feast or combo.

5.      Make an attitude adjustment – eating out doesn’t have to mean blowing the diet. Have the belief that dining out can be healthy and enjoyable at the same time.

Tips for dining buffet style (for times when it’s unavoidable):

1.       Do not sit too close to the buffet table.

2.      Look over the entire selection before filling the plate.

3.      Start with healthy, low-fat foods.

4.      Fill at least half of the plate with vegetables.

5.      Take a moment to assess hunger and fullness levels before going back for more.

6.      Take time to relax, breathe between bites, and enjoy the food and the company.

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So, you’ve hit a physical or mental plateau and now you want to give up?  This all-or-nothing attitude can set you up for failure. Physical and mental plateaus are a normal part of life. Recognizing the factors that lead to these plateaus and addressing them will keep you from throwing in the towel the next time this occurs.

You’ve reduced your calorie intake, but the scale won’t budge?  Cutting back too much on caloric intake can result in the body going into starvation mode, which is counter productive in weight loss. Physical plateaus can result from your metabolism slowing down in response to dieting.  As you reduce your calories over time your basal metabolic rate decreases and shedding unwanted pounds becomes more difficult.  To counter this, forget deprivation diets and instead focus on whole foods. Whole foods are foods you can picture growing: whole grains, dairy, meat, fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and healthy nut butters and oils. Eat five to six small meals per day, or one every three to four hours.  You should eat at least 1,500 calories per day and be sure to eat frequent smaller meals…these will help rev your metabolism. 

You can also plateau if you workouts are not challenging enough.  By performing the same activities each day you are giving your body the chance to acclimate to your workouts and you will begin to burn less and less calories even though you are performing the same amount of activity. The body’s ability to acclimate is a survival mechanism. It makes sense for the body to reduce the amount of calories needed for an activity if that activity has become repetitive. To combat this, you must change up your routines and work outside your comfort zone. Challenge your body and your body will respond. It is also important to equally incorporate cardiovascular work and weight training.  Building muscle increases the metabolic rate and fat burning potential.  Additionally, adding another 10 minutes to your aerobic routine, or incorporating interval training will keep the body working hard and the metabolism ticking.

Another obstacle in combating weight loss is mental plateaus.  On the list…..cravings!  Cravings can attack at any time but are often worst in the first month of dieting due to the drastic changes and depletions in our diets. This is another reason that diets don’t work. We always will crave what we can’t have. If you want a cookie then choose a gourmet cookie that is well worth the extra calories. Boredom of food content can result in cheating.  If you deny yourself the cookie you will most likely eat half a bag of grocery store cookies the next chance you get. By incorporating gourmet sweets on occasion you will feel more satisfied and motivated to stick with your healthier eating patterns during the rest of the week. Adding a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, will help prevent boredom.  However, when it comes to sweets, stick to only a couple choices, as variety will only encourage the body to keep eating.

It is important to recognize that plateaus are part of life.  This sense of failure can be redeemed through strategic tactics such as: keeping an exercise log to document achievements; by revisiting those old photos as a reminder of your progress; or by developing your own wellness team, such as a nutritionist, personal trainer and a psychotherapist to support you through these plateaus and help you determine the most efficient ways of eating and exercise for you.  Most importantly, keeping a positive outlook will improve your chances for long term weight loss success.