Dieting During the Holiday Season

Before you go to the party… count the calories.

A food is likely to be high in calories if it is greasy or oily, smooth and thick, or sweet and gooey.

The holiday season with its rich food and drink may be a disaster for you if you're trying to either lose weight or just not gain any. The thing to remember at holiday time is that it's a lot easier to keep pounds off than it is to take them off.

Learn the good guys and the bad guys

One way to handle this problem is to be ready for the foods before you see them. Learn which party foods are high in calories and which are low so you can choose the ones which will help you with your weight program.

Use the calorie counter

A calorie counter book can help you with this. If you're not familiar with a certain food, you can usually judge its calorie level by certain characteristics it has. For example, a food is usually low in calories if it is thin and watery, crisp with water or bulky like greens. On the other hand, a food is likely to be high in calories if it is greasy or oily, smooth and thick, or sweet and gooey.

The lowdown on highballs

Alcoholic beverages are often the downfall for people watching their weight. A highball usually contains about 150 calories... and a sweet after dinner drink may contain even more. A half-cup of eggnog, about four ounces, contains about 170 calories. Add a half jigger of alcohol to the eggnog and the calorie content jumps to 215 calories. Remember, the higher the alcohol content of a drink, the higher the calorie content. A glass of dry white wine usually has a lower calorie content of 90 calories.

Eating fewer calories in regular meals during the holiday season can help leave room for those extra calories you're likely to pick up during parties and family gatherings. But, remember that the calories in all those sweet snacks you eat during the holidays count, too.

For more information on dieting during the holiday season, contact your local county Extension office.