Trust me, you’re not alone.

During the holiday season, we experience a seemingly endless array delicious foods, especially when we sit down for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s meals – not to mention the alcoholic beverages that flow like wine, including wine.

That’s always true for me when I head home to New York City for Mom’s home cooking, as my family and I do every Christmas. She always makes all of my favorites – mostly fried of course – and enough to last us the nearly full week we spent there.

And of course, I indulge – because I don’t experience Mom’s cooking more than two or three times a year. Which in years past meant falling among the average American who gain between one and eight pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

Those who are more fit hover closer to one pound, while others creep toward the eight-pound mark. What’s more concerning is that holiday weight gain often accounts for 50 percent of the total weight gained annually, and most people never lose it.

Why is there such a disparity between the weight gain for those who are fit and those who aren’t? Yes, knowledge plays a role in that, but not as large a role as you may think.

It’s awareness. It’s paying attention to the choices being made, and better yet planning ahead to make better choices overall. Now, there’s nothing we can do about the choices we made during the holidays. That time has come and gone.

But what if I said that the approach to maintain your weight, or even to shed unwanted pounds, is the same the rest of the year too?

Because it’s not rocket science, no matter how much we as human beings feel the need to overcomplicate matters, especially pertaining to health and fitness.

Too often we fall into the trap of believing that health and fitness plans need to be complex and complicated – and let’s face it, hard – to gain the desired results.

But in reality, the plan isn’t different now than it was during the holidays. We simply faced more temptations in front of us trying to steer us off course during the holidays (and too often, doing a very good job of doing just that).

Anyone who works with me can recite what I’m writing next because they have heard it time and time again during our time together.

Make healthy choices. Watch portion sizes. Drink plenty of water, preferably half an ounce per pound of body weight. And be active.

Still, I know how hard how it is to turn away foods we enjoy, at holiday time and the rest of the year. Here are five helpful tips when faced with making choices that will help you stay on track with your health and fitness goals while still savoring what you love.

1. Eat in advance – Don’t arrive at any gathering hungry. That’s a recipe for making poor choices.
2. Take your time eating – How often have you been so hungry that you eat a meal so quickly, still feel hungry along the way, and then a short time later feel bloated? Studies show it takes at least 20 minutes for our brain to send signals to our stomach saying that we’re full. So, eat slowly to prevent overeating.
3. Feel satisfied, not full – When you’re eating slowly, and you start to feel full, that’s when you should stop eating, even if there’s food left on your plate. Whenever I eat out, I ask for a to-go box before my meal arrives. Then I cut the meal in half (because portion sizes at restaurants are at least twice the normal serving size) and put it in the box before I eat the rest. Now, I have a healthy meal for lunch or dinner the next day.
4. Indulge…a bit – If you plan, for example, to have a piece of pie for dessert, don’t have a second helping of the main course. If you prioritize what you want to eat, you can still enjoy all the choices without overdoing it.

5. Forgive yourself – No one is perfect. Simply make a healthier choice the next time.

If you need help with building better awareness over the nutritional choices you make, or any challenges you face on your health and fitness journey, I’m here to help.

Contact me at 814.504.7774 or by email at [email protected] to get started. You can also get more information on my website at fernandesfit.com.