Have Yourself a Healthy Little Christmas

You hear the same story this time every year: The average American puts on 5-7 lbs during the holiday season. It's hard not to what with the trays of Christmas cookies at the office, fried appetizers and egg nog at the neighbor's holiday open house and Grandma's special pecan pie on Christmas Eve. Nothing but junk food every time you turn around. To make matters worse, Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, cookie baking and card writing robs us of precious time. That lack of time can lead to giving up our usual fitness routine. It's no wonder that so many of us start the new year with a few extra pounds. If you don't want to be a statistic this year you have to plan ahead and strategize.

As my gift to you this holiday season I'd like to offer a few suggestions that have worked for me.

It's all about alternatives

When appropriate, bring an alternative dish to parties or events you're attending.

A combination of protein and veggies make a black bean salad a perfect choice for holiday potlucks.

These Bite Sized Greek Salads will be on the buffet at my annual Christmas night celebration.

Have an alternative "treat" to enjoy at the office. Inevitably there will be plates of cookies waved under your nose or tempting you in the break room. For instance, a single candy cane has between 40-60 calories. Stash a few in your desk or throw a few in the break room so you can enjoy something with your co-workers. I like to sip herbal peppermint tea throughout the day. It's got a holiday flavor I love and it helps me avoid the temptation to bite the heads off of a gingerbread man.

Start healthy holiday traditions

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is seeing all the festive lights. Instead of driving through the city to view them, take a Christmas light walk, it's my favorite way to get in a little extra exercise in the evening. Can't get the family to go? Walk the dog, you'll zap calories and Fido gets his exercise. (Download some Christmas music on your Ipod to make the walk more entertaining.)

Host a party that involves activity. A sledding party or snowball fight can be a great way to have fun and work up a sweat. Check out this post for more ideas for hosting a skating party.


Adding pounds doesn't have to become a tradition during the holiday season. Follow these ideas or create your own solutions and you can start 2012 feeling healthy and strong.

Do you have any solutions for staying on course during the holidays?