Your Health: Avoid holiday weight gain — practice defensive dining

For millions of Americans, celebrating the holidays involves a fair amount of feasting.

We know that overeating can be hazardous to our health, but it’s hard to avoid indulging ourselves around this time of year.

From Thanksgiving till New Year’s Day, we’re practically bombarded with food — and of course, the temptation to eat it.

With all the extra eating going on, a little weight gain is to be expected.

If you’re like most Americans, you can expect to pack on at least a pound and a half of extra weight over the holiday season.

While a weight gain of less than two pounds isn’t necessarily a cause for alarm, the fact that most folks never shed the extra weight is more worrisome.

In spite of all those New Year’s resolutions to slim down, the majority of Americans tend to gain — and keep — at least one additional pound each year throughout adulthood.

It’s not impossible to eat sensibly and avoid weight gain over the holidays, but it can be challenging, especially if you don’t develop a good strategy ahead of time.

One of the best ways to avoid overdoing it is to practice a little defensive dining.

Sometimes, it’s not the mere presence of all those tasty goodies that leads you into temptation, it’s the high-pressure tactics of the people around you.

If you don’t consume enough food to strain the seams of your favorite Santa sweater, concerned friends and relatives may worry that you’re in imminent danger of starving to death.

To avoid being persuaded to eat against your will, it’s wise to rehearse several versions of a polite-but-firm refusal ahead of time.

You might want to learn a few non-lethal self-defense moves while you’re at it, since some folks just won’t take no for an answer.

Once you’ve established full control of your plate, it’s important to fill it wisely.

Before you make a mad dash to the dessert tray, be sure to visit the veggie platter first.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and they typically contain far more water and fiber that most processed foods.

As a result of their added bulk, they can help make you feel fuller faster, leaving less room for high-calorie sweets and treats.

While fresh fruits and vegetables are low in fat and calories, they’re often served with condiments that aren’t quite so benign.

It’s best to use veggie dips and salad dressings sparingly, since a quarter cup of some varieties contains up to 300 calories and 40 grams of fat.

Although it’s fairly safe to throw caution to the wind when you’re munching on celery stalks and melon balls, most other foods should be consumed in moderation.

Extra large serving sizes and second helpings should be avoided whenever possible.

After eating a robust holiday meal, even a single serving of dessert can cause you to exceed your caloric limit.

Savoring just a few bites of your favorite cherry cheesecake might be all it takes to satisfy your sweet tooth, but if you eat an entire slice, you’ll take in an extra 350 calories and 22 grams of fat.

While you’re engaging in defensive dining, remember to count the calories that you drink, as well as the ones you eat.

If you really don’t want that cup of eggnog, you can save yourself 350 calories and 20 grams of fat by politely declining.

Alcohol is fat free, but it’s still a source of calories.

In most cases, you’ll consume around a hundred calories with every 4-ounce glass of wine, 12-ounce bottle of light beer or ounce-and-a-half serving of liquor.

It’s not always the caloric content of spirits that makes them such a danger to your diet -- it’s the effects of the alcohol.

After drinking a second glass of wine, you may decide that you really do need a third slice of pecan pie.

No matter how careful you are, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up consuming more calories than you need over the holiday season.

One of the best ways to compensate for those extra calories is to step up your level of activity.

Fortunately, dining defensively will give you a mild aerobic workout.

Dodging the person who’s determined to refill your glass or plate will require you to stay in constant motion.

It’s not easy to eat sensibly this time of year, but by practicing a little defensive dining, you can keep holiday weight gain to a minimum.

Rallie McAllister is a board-certified family physician, speaker and the author of several books, including “Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom’s Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim.” Her Web site is www.rallieonhealth.com. Copyright 2008 Creators Syndicate Inc.