Christmas Survival Guide

Stay On Track Throughout the Holiday

-- By SparkPeople

Holidays revolve around food and family, but Christmas actually has its roots in a feast. December 25 officially became the day for Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus around the fifth century, but the Romans held winter festivities and feasts around that time, including the "Yule" holiday, which involved setting large fires. The traditions merged as time passed, bringing us the Yule log and the special importance placed on food.

Christmas is a time of joy and family celebration. Many of our favorite memories come from time spent with Mom baking holiday cookies or making gingerbread houses. Although Christmas represents serious temptation for a dieter, following these tips will help you succeed instead of "starting over" after the New Year.

Holiday Parties
If you don't eat Aunt Ethel's cookies, you feel rude…but you know just looking at them puts a pound on each thigh!

• Make sure you grab a quick snack before the party starts, so you won't feel famished.
• Decide ahead of time how many cookies you're going to have. Make up for the extra calories through the rest of the day—eat an open-face sandwich with only one piece of bread and have some salsa on your baked potato instead of sour cream and butter.
• Make your own healthy foods to bring to the party. At least you'll know there is something there that won’t blow your diet.

Ah, the annual office party. Politics are everywhere and you know that you have to eat everyone's dessert to ensure the friendship through the next year.

• To get around it, volunteer to be a judge of this year's dessert contest. Judges have just one bit of each treat before deciding which is best. Not willing to judge? Take one spoonful instead of a full piece.

Lunches 
Around this time of year, everyone invites you to lunch—friends, family, co-workers. From heavy Italian sauces to tacos, you know your diet is going to go downhill before you walk in.

• Stay away from anything that says: Creamy, Crispy, or Fried. Order your sauces on the side and ask for a box before your meal begins. Put half of the meal into the box before you start eating. That way, you can still be a part of the clean plate club without overdoing it.

Get Moving 
When you’re busy wrapping gifts, last minute shopping, cooking, entertaining—and don't forget about the party hopping—your exercise routine…well, what exercise routine? Try something new with your family and friends this year—get outside and be active. It's fun, it's festive, and it's a great calorie burner.

• Winter brings unique exercise opportunities that you can’t experience any other time of year. From ice skating to snow skiing, there are calorie-burning opportunities everywhere you turn!
• Burn 84 calories ice skating for 10 minutes. Burn 96 calories playing hockey for the same amount of time.
• Cross-Country skiing is one of the best all-around exercises out there. Burn 96 calories in 10 minutes while working both your upper and lower body. Downhill skiing burns 72 calories.
• Using a snow blower burns 54 calories in 10 minutes while shoveling snow burns 72.
• Another great winter exercise is Snow Shoeing. You can burn 96 calories in 10 minutes. This is also a great wintertime activity for expecting mothers because there is a low risk of falling compared to skiing.

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