Resisting Holiday Desserts When You're Trying to Lose Weight

The Christmas and holiday parties and those desserts are in full swing now…

Worried that all of those Christmas cookies and other treats are going to sabotage all of your hard work to lose weight, exercise, and eat healthier? Whether it’s being unable to resist dipping into the kids’ candy stash after hours, piling on too many desserts at the office holiday party, or going on a baking spree that ends up with you eating most of the goodies yourself…(sounds familiar)…

Here are some ways to work around the temptation of sweets during the holiday season.

Portion Control is Key.

That cheesecake may be tempting. But unless you have enough self-control to take just a 2-inch cut, you’re likely not doing yourself a favor by digging into cream cheese-based desserts like this. If you really want to sample one of these rich desserts, make sure to make that 2-inch cut or look for treats that are already in small, bite-sized portions. Willpower is your friend here!

Eat before You Go.

Having an empty stomach makes it more difficult to just say no. If you have filled up on salads, veggies, proteins, and other healthy foods before going out, you will be better able to prevent a full-scale binge.

Cookies in the House? No.

What would Christmas be without cookies? Unfortunately for people trying to lose weight, their presence in the pantry or in their festive holiday tin can make things extremely difficult.

This is a tough one for me. As a kid, I used to bake 3-4 types of cookies each Christmas for our family. I have significantly decreased the number of cookies during the season, but a lot still get made.

If you do plan to make cookies with the kids, be proactive about packaging them up and giving as teacher and neighbor gifts to get them out of the house and out of reach faster.

Some cookies are worse than others. Your holiday baking adventures can actually include homemade cookies made with healthier ingredients such as oats, healthy oils, whole grain flour, dried fruits, and nuts.

Instead of chocolate chip or fattening peanut butter cookies, why not opt for a healthy whole-grain option like oatmeal cookies? Your family and friends will love them. Also, if you happen to nibble on a few, you won’t feel quite as guilty about the calories and fat.

Those Cookie Binge Calories Count.

Sometimes you just can’t resist what’s in front of you. If you do happen to pop more than a few butter-laden sugar cookies or cave to the nibbles, you must now rethink your meal plan for the remainder of the day. Dinner should be a fresh salad or something that takes into account the number of calories already consumed.

All is not Lost…

Did you fall prey to the temptation of Christmas cookies, cheesecakes, or other sugary treats? All hope is not lost. Tomorrow is a new day, and there is still time to gather those sweets up and offer them to friends. You can always take the cookies and cakes to the office, school, or somewhere that’s not home.

Less temptation for you, so you can return to your healthy eating practices and keep those pounds away for Christmas!