Weight Loss Transformation: Tips for staying on track during the holidays!

Here are some tips and tricks that I have learned over the years to help me stay on track and not eat excessively over the holidays.

1. Have a snack before the BIG family meal so that you are not so hungry and don't overeat.
2. Drink plenty of water as it fills up your stomach.
3. If the family dinner at your house, make lots of vegetable dishes and use low-fat ingredients where possible. If it is at someone else's home, bring a dish that is figure-friendly and eat plenty of it.
4. Bring your own salad dressing (NO KIDDING! I do this every year).
5. Only eat half the dessert that is on your plate and stick to pies and other lower fat desserts.
6. Drink diet pop and water. Stay away from the egg nog and other high-calorie drinks.
7. Put more of the healthier stuff on your plate like white turkey meat and vegetables instead of a lot of turkey stuffing and creamy mashed potatoes.
8. Eat a lot of salad and very little bread and rolls.
9. Get up from the table as soon as possible after dinner. Sitting at the dinner table and staring at all the food in front of you is a sure-fire way to overeat.
10. ENJOY YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS! Christmas is about family and the ones you love not about the food and drink!

I want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year. A healthy weight and lifestyle are possible. As Denzel Washington says, "Do what you gotta do so you can do what you wanna to." Eat well and live a healthy lifestyle so you can enjoy doing the things you love to do for a very long time. Happy Weight Loss!