Tips for Surviving Holiday Eating

I adore the holiday period -- the music, the sights and the food and drink. However my waist line does not. There are so many parties and so much good food to eat that one of my New Year's Resolutions is inevitably to lose weight. I then spend January and beyond trying to shift the weight.
This year is different. This year I shifted the weight plus and am utterly determined not to put it back on again. So I have been investigating a few tips on how to survive the holiday period without gaining ten pounds or more. In case they are of any use to anyone, I thought I'd share them.

1. Before going to a party, make sure you have done some sort of exercise for the day. Exercise also helps to reduce stress levels.
2. Decide what you are going to eat and what you are not going to. This is particularly important if it is a buffet. If you are going out to a restuarant, investigate and see if the menu is listed online.
3. Eat something before you go so that your blood sugar remains stable and you are less tempted. Remember Scarlet O'Hara's Mammy always had her girls eat before parties, the same thing applies here. Make sure you are well hydrated. People often confused thirst and hungar.
4. Focus on the people rather than on the food table. Stand on the other side of the room.
5. Wave trays on by. If pressed, say you just had  something. (You did, you ate before you arrived!)
6. If you do indulge, don't beat yourself up. Guilt tends to lead to more stress and more over eating. Eat what you crave and that's it. Move away from the temptation.
7. Do not be a paid up member of the Clean Plate Club. Leave something.
8. Seconds are not obligatory. Eat slowly and chew. Allow your stomach time to tell your brain that it is full.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty, and intimate historical romance for Harlequin Historical. Her next book His Unsuitable Countess will be published in August 2012 in both the US and the UK. You can read more about her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk