Tips to Lose Weight Over the Holidays

Every year you put on a few extra pounds over the holidays. After all there are all those tempting taste treats: cookies, homemade candies, and of course rich food and drink. This holiday not only can you avoid gaining weight, it's possible towithout a huge amount of sacrifice. Here are a few tips to lose weight fast over the holidays.

Before attending a party or gathering, have a few bites to eat. Choose a lowprotein like peanut butter and a cracker or two. When you arrive you won't be starving and tempted to eat whatever is put in front you.

And that's the next trick. Look over the buffet. Don't just start chowing down. Most hosts provide at least a dish or two that's healthy, even if they didn't intend to. Seafood without rich sauces, veggies without the dip, or fruit all make good healthy choices. Make yourself a mini meal from one trip around the buffet and then concentrate on meeting and mingling rather than eating.

Sauces are the downfall of anyone on aprogram. It's impossible to tell what's in that yummy concoction. Serve yourself, or ask for, sauces on the side, rather than ladled over the food. Dip salad tines in the sauce and then spear the food. The taste of the sauce will enhance the food without overwhelming it or your waistline.

Skip the alcoholic drinks for two reasons: they're full of calories and imbibing may lower your resistance. If that's not possible stick with white wine spritzers. Ask for a half a glass of white wine, then fill the glass with soda water and a slice of lime. One of the worst offenders is egg nog. It's loaded with sugar, fat from the cream, or half and half and has alcohol. Mixed drinks that are sugar based like rum toddies and coffee drinks with cream and liqueurs should be avoided as well.

Cookies seem to be everywhere this time of year. Choose your favorite kind and have one, just one. Then fall back on a handful of nuts, crunchy veggies, or fresh fruit. Apples even help you lose weight if you don't peel them. The skin contains pectin which helps you feel fuller longer.

Start every day with a good breakfast even if you over ate the day before. Studies have shown that people who eat a breakfast that combines, protein, a bit of healthy fat, like cheese, and good carbohydrates like fiber rich fruits lost more weight than those who didn't eat breakfast.