Mix pumpkin pie, roasted turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, plates of cookies and fudge. Add packed schedules, holiday parties and errands. Simmer with stress and travel. This gives you the perfect recipe for challenges to those healthy habits you’ve been maintaining the other 11 months of the year.

Like clockwork, the holiday season hits and workouts get skipped, plates get piled high and sleep becomes fleeting. As a result, the average American gains .8 to just below 2 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

But this year can be different! The team at Aultman Orrville Sports and Wellness is sharing tips from their Weigh 2 Maintain accountability program, which challenges participants to maintain their weight and fitness habits during the holiday season. These pointers can help you avoid holiday weight gain and even give you new healthy habits to use the whole year through.

Make a Plan

“The hardest part of the holidays is losing control of your environment and routine,” said Aleah Neuenschwander ATC, CSCS, athletic trainer with Aultman Orrville Sports and Wellness.

To help regain as much control as possible, use a calendar to visualize your month and plan out everything. Note when you have dinner parties, potlucks, holiday concerts and other commitments. Schedule workout times around those obligations. Identify times you will need to pack healthy meals and snacks when you’re on the go.

And don’t forget to give yourself time to relax. All that activity means your body and mind need time to recuperate.

Think Before You Eat

You will have a lot of food to choose from during the holiday season. Identify your “must have” items and stick to those. “In reality, most of the foods are available all year round, such as turkey and stuffing,” said Neuenschwander. Don’t trick yourself into thinking it’s now or never to enjoy a certain item.

Also ask yourself why you are eating. Is it because you’re hungry? Or are you bored, depressed or stressed? Find a better way to deal with problems versus eating: Exercise, call a friend or go outside for a walk and look at holiday lights in your neighborhood.

Shift Your Focus

This time of year is about more than eating, so shift your focus to other aspects of the season. If you celebrate a religious holiday, concentrate on the spiritual aspects of the observation.

Start food-free traditions in your family, such as caroling, reading stories aloud, making holiday crafts and buying gifts for families in need. When you attend a party, focus on socializing with friends, co-workers and family members. Play games, hit the dance floor and chat – don’t make the food table the center of everything.

Watch What You Eat and Drink

People are quick to point to cookies and stuffing as their downfall, but two other substances can be the real health humbugs during the holiday season: caffeine and alcohol.

The caffeine found in all those seasonal coffees is a mild diuretic and stimulant, so it can keep you up late and dehydrate you. Try decaf coffees and teas if you need a pick-me-up in the morning or afternoon.

“Alcohol is not only packed with empty calories, but these calories are more readily stored around the midsection,” said Neuenschwander. Four ounces of wine are 120 calories, a 12-ounce beer contains up to 200 calories and one shot of liquor adds 80-100 calories to a drink.

Instead, reach for water to hydrate yourself properly and take a multivitamin to make sure you are getting the proper nutrients.

“We also advise people to stock up on healthy convenience foods such as fresh and frozen veggies and fruit, lean deli meats, whole-grain bread and crackers, low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese, and low-calorie granola bars,” she said. This makes it easy to put together a meal or snack when you’re short on time.

Source: Journal of Obesity