Despite the believe that the average person gains 4-8 pounds during the holidays, actual data doesn’t really support that according to several sources. Do not get me wrong here, it is easy to put on a few pounds and I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have some indulgences for the holidays. After all, there are certain dishes and treats that you only have then. For someone like me, who has let their weight get out of control, then trying to be prudent over the holidays is especially important. So, taking a scene from Margaret Mitchell’s famous, Gone With the Wind, I am planning to eat before I go to most holiday events. The principal in the book of being full before a meal so that you could eat daintily is not entirely a matter of fiction. By eating items that are more closely aligned with what I should have prior to the party, I can at least take the edge off my hunger and perhaps stick with the items that aren’t too bad for me. No, I don’t mean that I will hover around the veggie tray if there is one. Taking a few veggies first though isn’t a bad idea, and not hovering around the food is a good technique. Drinking water does help and alternating a glass of water if drinking alcohol is never a bad idea in a party setting.

Being in a cocktail type venue makes this approach easier – if it’s a sit down dinner, you can only get so far with declining. Taking smaller portions and not doing seconds is about the best you’ll manage. Keeping up with exercise is also important among the round of events and that might also be a little tricky when it comes to timing. We shall see how it goes.