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Low-Carb Thanksgiving & Christmas
Your Guide to Laving a Low Carb, Low-Fat but
High in Nutrition, Taste and Enjoyment Kind of HolidayDo visions of Sugarplums dance in your head? And dance. And dance. And keep dancing? Until you just want to hit them!? If so, then chances are you're on a diet, and yes, it IS that holiday time of year again. Put that obsession on hold, and smile, because help has finally arrived. There is no need for you to feel deprived this holiday season, nor is there any reason why you can't continue to meet your weight loss or maintenance goals this time of year, even though temptation seems to be just about everywhere you turn.
For starters, I suggest you read my General Tips on Weight Loss article, because it offers a philosophy that I think will complement this holiday advice quite well, and help you know better where I am coming from. In my opinion, restrictive diets don't work, it really is impossible to stay on them indefinitely. Rebellion is not a matter of if, but when. However, coming up with a way of eating that works for you that you CAN happily stick to forever is a terrific goal, and is totally 100% possible. That said, here's my advice for the holidays:
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Hosting a Thanksgiving meal or Christmas feast is hard, but it doesn't have to be a situation that drives you nuts trying to figure out how to please everyone and still be able to eat, or makes you feel left out while everyone else eats whatever they want with complete abandon. We've all had those holidays where we ate too much in one sitting, or where going off of a regular diet sent us reeling for the next three weeks until we woke up 10, even 20 pounds later, but that doesn't have to be the case if you keep these suggestions in mind:
If you are hosting a meal:
1) Find food to prepare that EVERYONE can be excited about. And that includes you.
2) Think "whole foods". The recipes I have up on my site are things I make myself and are not only outstandingly delicious but also extremely healthy. They rely on loads of fresh ingredients, so if you're getting carbs or calories, you're getting loads of antioxidants too, a win-win situation.
3) Watch your portion sizes because too much of anything is a sign you're out of control. Remind yourself that you want to feel good about yourself before, during and after this event, and there is no "free pass" just a delicious, healthy meal for you to enjoy with friends and family.
4) Ever try your family recipes with just a little less butter than the recipe calls for? A little less sugar? So often I find that I can cut out a decent amount of what a recipe says and not lose much if anything in terms of taste. Make this a year to experiment--but I suggest you don't do it the night of your big party unless you are a very confident chef! I generally test run a few side dishes on a small scale (meaning for me and my husband) in the weeks leading up to a party.
If you are a guest at someone else's meal
1) Eat regular meals throughout the day of the party! I know some people who starve all day long to "save up" calories for later, but this never works. Your blood sugar will be so out of whack, and you'll be so tempted to binge on everything bad for you.
2) Offer to bring something you know will be a dish that will go along with their meal and also allow you to have something substantial that fits within your diet.
3) Don't be afraid to let your host know what's going on with you. I always make sure that when I have veg or vegan friends over, they are going to eat just as well as everyone else. If someone cares about you, they will want to see you happy and eating.
4) Remember, it's not a horrible sin to just skip your diet for a day and eat "normally" but that means you can't attack the meal like it's the long lost carb fix you've been craving for months. Small portions and most of your carbs from vegetables. Remember--the brighter the color, the more of it you can have. Start your meal by munching on the healthiest items and you'll be more full when it comes to sampling the less healthy ones. (That old don't go shopping when you're hungry phenomenon.) Sample a lot of different foods in small amounts--sometimes, just a few bites is enough to satisfy a craving.
5) Easy on the alcohol. The average alcoholic drink has 150-200 calories per glass. Try mixing half a glass of wine with sparkling water to cut calories.
6) Remember that turkey can be a great choice if you choose the turkey breast meat, over the dark meat and don't eat the skin. Skinless turkey breast is actually a healthy choice.
But go easy on the gravy, which tastes great but is often made from fat drippings from the turkey!Overall,
Have a plan. It beats not having one by a mile.
Keep in mind, if you take the "day off" approach it could be harder than you think to get back on the diet after the holidays. Can't let all those great "leftovers" go to waste. And what about the cookies Aunt Sue was so nice to bring for dessert--there's still a few left, right? The truth is by cutting certain kinds of food out of my diet, I really no longer crave them. But a few days of eating differently, kicks in those cravings again, so be prepared. Make a plan for what you will allow youself and then stick to it. You are responsible for your decisions. Own them.
Give yourself a present for the holidays by setting aside time to exercise during the holiday week. Yes, you heard me correctly. During that stressful holiday week is just when you need it most!!! Make plans NOW with a friend to watch each other's kids for a morning or afternoon, if that's what you need to do, and get moving. Even if you don't normally exercise, talk a walk. Go for a bike ride. Just get out there. Now if the PERFECT time to start--none of this, I'll start on Jan 1st stuff. The light cycles decrease at this time of year and it's easy for depression to set in, which of course makes you crave all those comfort foods all the more. Exercise is a mood regulator and you will be much better prepared to not go into a binge cycle if you can continue to feel good about yourself throughout the holidays. Promise yourself that on the days you don't feel like it, or are short on time, just do 10 minutes of SOMETHING, which always beats 10 minutes or an hour of NOTHING! Chances are once you're actually moving, you'll be able to do more than you thought you had energy for. I have a "short skate" route planned for days like that for me, and often once I'm out there I realize I can handle the mid-range or long range route instead.
Take an energy bar on the road with you for your holiday shopping expeditions. You'll be less likely to experience major spikes and drops in energy, or to visit a food court at a mall wherre your options for healthy choices are limited. Personally, I think a lot of these bars taste like you-know-what. But I like the Zone Fudge Graham Cracker bars a lot, slightly better than the Double Chocolate or Chocolate Caramel Cluster although those are good too, and I buy them by the case so there are always some on hand. My husband prefers the Chocolate Peanut Butter. Neither of us are into the fruit flavors, so can't give personal recommends there. And for beautiful desserts to serve at holiday parties, be sure to check out
Shari's Berries Sugar Free Collection.
OK, fine, so that's how to deal with the meal. What about the cookie swaps I do with my friends every year?
Here's a New Idea
Give the Christmas Cookies a year off. How about a Low-Carb Goodie Swap Party instead? Just see how creative you can get, and you may surprise yourself and your friends. Low-carb DOES NOT have to be low in taste, nor do you have to go all extreme if you are consistent in trying to cut down on carbs where you can. As a proponent of organic food, I am not a fan of Splenda or any artificial sweetener myself, and it should be noted that I have not checked the ingedients on everything listed on this site so please check for yourself before you order to make sure you're Ok with everything that's in it. My choice is to go lower carb, rather than LOW carb, and that means I use a little brown sugar, sucanat, honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, molasses, stevia or agave nectar etc. now and again, choose brown rice over white rice, and just avoid white flour & processed over-sugared foods as much as I can without getting obsessive about it, all of which works just fine for me, and I think, can work for you too.
these books can help you get started
Note: Jan does call for the use of Splenda in some of her recipes. I'd replace this with Sucanat, which is basically dehydrated sugar cane with little to no processing, making it an excellent source of iron, calcium, vitamin B6, potassium and chromium, which helps balance blood sugar. Or you could use Malitol, but that's a bit more expensive, and a little less sweet than actual sugar. What's nice about Sucanat is you can use in a 1:1 ratio wherever you'd use sugar. You can get more info about using nutritious, natural sweetener substitutes for your holiday baking here.
Low Carb Holiday: The Healthy & Delicious Low Carb Holiday Cookbook
Bothered by low carb desserts overloaded with NutraSweet and Splenda? These are the books for you!
and a few order-and-go solutions for the too-busy or can't cook crowd
More Resources to Help You Keep on Track during the Holidays
Low-Carbing: Surviving the HolidaysNutritional and Calorie Information About Sugar & Sugar Substitutes
Karen's Gourmet Low-Carb Recipes
Low-Carb Luxury: Treats & Desserts
