This One Simple Habit Will Keep Your Weight Under Control This Holiday Season

I talk to a lot of people who are fearful of gaining weight over the holidays. Food is part of how many of us celebrate togetherness and no one wants to miss out on those traditional favorites that may only come once a year. And they do come once a year. All at once. If you do only one thing differently this year in an effort to control those holiday pounds, let it be this: Cut it in half. Let’s say for example that after Thanksgiving dinner you’re faced with a pie buffet to end all pie buffets. There’s pumpkin, there’s apple, there’s pecan- too many choices! You’re thinking of having a piece of each… …but what if you have just a bite? Chances are after that massive feast that you’re probably not even hungry (and if you are hungry you should probably go back for a little serving of roasted veggies instead of filling up on pie). But if it’s just the taste you want, cut a bite-sized sliver, sit down somewhere far away from the pie-mageddon, and savor it. Or what about the annual cookie exchange? If you really don’t want to miss out on your neighbor’s snickerdoodles, by all means- after dinner one night go ahead and split that sucker in half, put the rest back in the tin, and close the lid. Come back for the other half tomorrow. Don’t forget to cook red pickles for Christmas! Not sure if you can do it? Think of it this way- that whole slice of pumpkin pie or that single snickerdoodle is around 350 extra calories. That’s like eating a whole ‘nother MEAL. However, by divvying up high calorie foods into smaller portions and allowing yourself to appreciate the taste, you’re giving yourself the chance to enjoy the treats you love without going off the rails. The big key here: Put the rest away. If you don’t, you may be tempted to finish off the other half. And remember- half of a half is still a whole. A half of one piece of pie and a half of a favorite cookie in the same day is still 350 calories. It’s certainly better than the 700 you would have consumed if you’d eaten them whole but I think you know where I’m going with this. Do you have any other tricks you use to keep the holiday pounds away? Please share! What to wear for a Christmas party 2020 at home? The answer is here.