By Sarah Bogues

With the holidays quickly approaching, eating healthy and working out is a far stretch for the average person. Most either give up on their healthy regiments or “postpone” it till the New Year due to candy, cookies, and sweets.

Holidays, parties, and social gatherings all seem to focus on the food, presenting a challenge for those previously engaged in healthy eating.  It is for this reason that CCSU’s dining services released a hint sheet for the holidays called “How To Eat, Drink, & Be Merry Without the Weight Gain” suggesting different ways for everyone to enjoy the holiday festivities yet also watch the pounds from packing on.

This bullet-point list presents seven helpful hints to get through the fattening yet joyous holidays.

1. Do not skip a meal – Yes I know, the common solution to fighting back the urge to overeat is to skip a meal before “the big one.” However, skipping that cereal will decrease blood sugar so by the time three o’clock rolls around two plates of food will be devoured within minutes and the scale will drastically increase by 10 pounds. Maybe that cereal doesn’t sound too bad after all.

2. Eat a light snack – When you are famished with no food in your system, it can be tempting to eat everything in sight. If you want to fit into those size skinny 6’s the day after than eat a healthy snack such as a fruit, veggie, or yogurt.

3. Focus on the fruits and veggies – Fruits and veggies might be a little dull compared to those delicious chips and dips but their one plus is that they’re low in calories. They are also abundant in vitamins and minerals, and will fill you up if you eat one half of your plate with those yummy F’s and V’s.

4. Drink plenty of fluids – Alcohol and high-calorie sodas and juices might be tempting, but water is the best choice not only because it is zero calories but also since it can fill you up before eating a plate of food. For once, water: 1 alcohol: 0.

5. Do not deprive yourself – Gaining weight doesn’t necessarily stem mainly from the type of food you eat, but how much of it you munch on. If one cookie looks delicious then go for it. But don’t gobble up the whole dozen. Telling yourself no to food will more likely make you over eat it and regret it the next morning. If you’re stomach says yes then go for it, but not too much.

6. You do not have to clean your plate – If you’re full then listen to your body and stop. No one is making you clean your plate. It’ll just make you full and will be counterproductive because if it’s a big plate then the pounds will definitely pack on. And regret will shortly come after. An easy way to make sure that your plate doesn’t become to full is to serve yourself. We all have that one family member that always gives you an extra scoop, even though you asked them not to.

7. Bring a healthy dish – You never know what the host of a party or get together will have to eat, so preparing a healthy dish to bring isn’t such a bad idea. This will ensure that amongst the saucy wings, fried food, and fatty chips, there’s at least something you can snack on for the night.

With this list you can surely enjoy the festivities of the holiday season without having to begin a new diet on the New Year to shed off those cookies, chips, and sweets.