What a joyous season of giving and receiving!  Much of the receiving comes in the form of all sorts of culinary delights.  The temptation is endless, and who wants to offend the generous host’s offer another delicious morsel, or a refill of creamy egg nog? 

Statistics show that we can gain 5 pounds or more over the winter season, which we should try to avoid, for obvious reasons.  Here’s what I recommend:

Limit your caloric intake during the time leading up to that celebratory festivity. For example, for breakfast, have egg whites instead of whole eggs and an English muffin in place of donuts or slices of bread.  Be sure to skip the butter and instead of fruit juice, have half a grapefruit.  That alone will offset about 300 calories,  or much more, if you regularly eat bacon and pancakes.  As the day progresses, consume high-fiber, low-calorie snacks frequently…half a banana, grapes, apples, carrots, a hand-full of nuts, maybe a low-fat, sugar-free yogurt or cottage cheese.

Lunch can be a healthy veggie soup or stir-fry, and a mixed salad with only a splash of dressing.  Cut the sugar-loaded soft drinks, and take in plenty of plain water.  Right before your event, eat another healthy snack, so you won’t be starving, and in turn will be more selective about what and how much you will eat.  Before getting to your event, set a reasonable goal for the number of alcoholic beverages you will consume.

Mitigate adding on calories - increase your physical activity. Take your dog on a longer walk or bike an extra loop around the lake.  Visit your gym more often, spend additional time on the treadmill or elliptical, and increase the difficulty by increasing incline and/or speed.  Maybe even schedule another appointment with your trainer - it’s all well worth it.

I hope this will help not only for the holidays, but for a happy, healthy and fit new year.  Have fun, indulge, but wisely!

In addition to being a NSCA-CPT and Cooper certified personal fitness trainer, Rick Grunbaum also holds certificates as a fitness specialist for older adults, and in nutritional counseling.  You can contact him at 214.356.2332, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .