Counting Calories Around The Holidays
When frost bites your nose, you can't feel your toes and it's been a long day it is easy to go for junk food, and let's face it with the holidays upon us it is easier than ever to grab those delicious sweets that bring us comfort.
Thanksgiving is a time of thanks and I know most of you will agree me when I say you are grateful for you health, now with that said, how many of us, including me would like to improve our health for the new year? All right then lets begin now when all that tempting food is in front of us and not wait until the New Year when everyone else pushes their way to the gym for a month or two. You, me, let's do it!
The key to graduating to a beautiful body during the holiday season and being successful at keeping your weight in check is first to make a plan. Really think of all that will or might be served and what you are willing to cut down on- do you really need seconds on those potatoes?
This might sound all a bit depressing but actually there is good news. You have a choice! The first thing I would recommend is to make a plan, decided before you go to that family gathering or friend party that you will limit your intake.
Second, make sure you eat before you go to any event, it might sound crazy to eat before going to Aunt Junes for dinner but if you did not make the dishes yourself, you don't know what recipe she used, you can be almost guaranteed extra butter, sugar, salts, and creams. If you eat light before had you won't engulf food as you arrive, and it will tide you over should the hostess be running late.
Many people watch what they eat and then go crazy on desserts, may I offer a suggestion- you can have dessert, in fact you can try a little sampling of many desserts, the key word here is little sampling".
D'oeuvres- Cheese bread slices, packs a whopping third of your daily limit for saturated fat, and many hostesses will serve these little delights with a dipping sauce.
When it comes to a thanksgiving dinner one can not forget the yummy side dishes such as the stuffing, now my grandma used to make the most divine stuffing on the planet, just some cranberries for taste and bread crumbs now they have all kinds of stuffing, why I read a recipe the other day for sausage stuffing- with a name like that you know it's got to be riddled in fat.
Cheese balls might look little and harmless but that's the problem they are little and packed with fat because they are made by blending together grated cheese, cream cheese, spices, and rolled in nuts; an entire ball can contain more than 500 calories. Side Dishes- Who doesn't love a potato with their turkey however one medium stuffed potato has 316 calories and 8.25 grams of saturated fat, if you must do potatoes keep it simple. If your not a stuffed potato kind-a-person and like potatoes with gravy that's ok just remember one cup of canned turkey gravy has 1,373 milligrams of sodium, so watch how much to take.
Who doesn't love holiday pies? There are some that are better than others, yes pumpkin because it is packed with vitamin A and even if you whop it with some whipped cream you are still better off than say the pecan pie. Pecan nuts to begin with are high in calories and when in pie form you add sugar, butter, and corn syrup, giving you a costly at more than 500 calories, 37 grams of fat, and 26 grams of sugar.
Desserts- Pecans are a high-cal nut so imagine what happens when you combine them with sugar, butter, and corn syrup- you've got a slice of pecan pie that will cost you more than 500 calories, 37 grams of fat, and 26 grams of sugar. If Cheesecake is one of your favorite desserts around the holiday season beware, one slice of Cheesecake Factory's original cheesecake has 707 calories and 29 grams of fat. Yule log or Bche de Nol is a classic, however, with ingredients such as heavy cream, butter, nuts, and chocolate this dessert can pack quite a punch with its 47 grams of sugar it's sure to add to your figure. Run, run you're the gingerbread man! Run to the gym if you want to indulge on Gingerbread cake as the primary ingredients are large quantities of buttermilk, flour, and sugar. One small piece of cake has 12 grams of fat, 260 calories, and 36 carbs.
There are many lighter fare recipes on line, in cook books, and ingredient substitutes that can offer you that sweet goodness with out sacrificing all the time you have spent staying in shape and looking great.
Thanksgiving is a time of thanks and I know most of you will agree me when I say you are grateful for you health, now with that said, how many of us, including me would like to improve our health for the new year? All right then lets begin now when all that tempting food is in front of us and not wait until the New Year when everyone else pushes their way to the gym for a month or two. You, me, let's do it!
The key to graduating to a beautiful body during the holiday season and being successful at keeping your weight in check is first to make a plan. Really think of all that will or might be served and what you are willing to cut down on- do you really need seconds on those potatoes?
This might sound all a bit depressing but actually there is good news. You have a choice! The first thing I would recommend is to make a plan, decided before you go to that family gathering or friend party that you will limit your intake.
Second, make sure you eat before you go to any event, it might sound crazy to eat before going to Aunt Junes for dinner but if you did not make the dishes yourself, you don't know what recipe she used, you can be almost guaranteed extra butter, sugar, salts, and creams. If you eat light before had you won't engulf food as you arrive, and it will tide you over should the hostess be running late.
Many people watch what they eat and then go crazy on desserts, may I offer a suggestion- you can have dessert, in fact you can try a little sampling of many desserts, the key word here is little sampling".
D'oeuvres- Cheese bread slices, packs a whopping third of your daily limit for saturated fat, and many hostesses will serve these little delights with a dipping sauce.
When it comes to a thanksgiving dinner one can not forget the yummy side dishes such as the stuffing, now my grandma used to make the most divine stuffing on the planet, just some cranberries for taste and bread crumbs now they have all kinds of stuffing, why I read a recipe the other day for sausage stuffing- with a name like that you know it's got to be riddled in fat.
Cheese balls might look little and harmless but that's the problem they are little and packed with fat because they are made by blending together grated cheese, cream cheese, spices, and rolled in nuts; an entire ball can contain more than 500 calories. Side Dishes- Who doesn't love a potato with their turkey however one medium stuffed potato has 316 calories and 8.25 grams of saturated fat, if you must do potatoes keep it simple. If your not a stuffed potato kind-a-person and like potatoes with gravy that's ok just remember one cup of canned turkey gravy has 1,373 milligrams of sodium, so watch how much to take.
Who doesn't love holiday pies? There are some that are better than others, yes pumpkin because it is packed with vitamin A and even if you whop it with some whipped cream you are still better off than say the pecan pie. Pecan nuts to begin with are high in calories and when in pie form you add sugar, butter, and corn syrup, giving you a costly at more than 500 calories, 37 grams of fat, and 26 grams of sugar.
Desserts- Pecans are a high-cal nut so imagine what happens when you combine them with sugar, butter, and corn syrup- you've got a slice of pecan pie that will cost you more than 500 calories, 37 grams of fat, and 26 grams of sugar. If Cheesecake is one of your favorite desserts around the holiday season beware, one slice of Cheesecake Factory's original cheesecake has 707 calories and 29 grams of fat. Yule log or Bche de Nol is a classic, however, with ingredients such as heavy cream, butter, nuts, and chocolate this dessert can pack quite a punch with its 47 grams of sugar it's sure to add to your figure. Run, run you're the gingerbread man! Run to the gym if you want to indulge on Gingerbread cake as the primary ingredients are large quantities of buttermilk, flour, and sugar. One small piece of cake has 12 grams of fat, 260 calories, and 36 carbs.
There are many lighter fare recipes on line, in cook books, and ingredient substitutes that can offer you that sweet goodness with out sacrificing all the time you have spent staying in shape and looking great.
About the Author:
Do not go hungry during the Holidays or at any time. Social Service Coordinators offers free advocacy programs, public or private to help you.
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