Taming the Holiday Buffet

with Debra Kasprzak, R.D. and Certified Diabetes Educator, Advanced Healthcare

Posted: Dec. 1, 2004

Turkey and gravy, pumpkin pie and holiday stress can lead to blown diets and weight gain. Debra Kasprzak, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with Advanced Healthcare, sees many of the effects of holiday overload in her practice. She noted that the average person gains five to seven pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day and offers the following tips for a healthy pass through the buffet lines.

Debra Kasprzak, R.D. and Certified Diabetes Educator, Advanced Healthcare "If someone is on a weight reduction diet, the holiday season is not the time to look at losing weight. It's more important to look at maintaining weight. That would be quite a success."

1. Abandon the all or nothing mentality. It isn't realistic to tell people to avoid pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Instead people should take a small portion and eat slowly to really enjoy the taste. “One of the things I've read is that you taste the first bite and the last bite but you don't taste the bites in between. If you concentrate on the taste, you'll get more enjoyment from a smaller slice,” she said. In addition, since it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to signal the brain that you've had enough, slowing down the pace of your eating should also help you consume less.

2. Scope out the offerings on holiday buffets before going through the line. Look at the selections first and then go back and make appropriate choices. Concentrate on eating more of lower calorie foods you love rather than the richer offerings. And try to go through the line just once.

3. If you really don't love the food, don't eat it. Why waste the calories on something you really aren't enjoying?

4. Eat at your regular mealtimes before going to a party where food will be served. Maybe eat a light meal or snack, but don't go to a party famished or you won't be able to control your eating as easily.

5. Practice saying, "No thank you". If someone offers you an extra dessert, be able to refuse. In addition, refrain from accepting a tray of your favorite goodies to take home.

6. Don't berate yourself if you blow your diet completely for one night. It's not a disaster. Healthy eating isn't black or white. Practice moderation next time.

7. Drink water or a non-alcoholic diet beverage before that first cocktail. Quench your thirst and you will drink slower. Also, have water between drinks since alcohol in itself is dehydrating. An added plus from this tip is that extra fluid tends to keep that morning-after headache at bay.

8. Plan more exercise. The holidays are a good time to step up exercise to burn off some of these extra calories. Also, exercise helps to decrease appetite, increase metabolism and reduce stress. When people feel frazzled and busy, exercise is often the first thing to go, but at this time of the year, it should be the thing you want to increase, if possible.

9. Concentrate on friends and family. We don't always have to think that food is the focus.

"It would be fine if the holidays were just one day, but the problem with the holidays is they just never end. Day after day there's extra consumption," Kasprzak said. So the important thing is to relax and enjoy — in moderation.

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