HOLIDAY QUESTION:

Holiday Feasting. How To Manage Those Food Portions?

Q: This time of year it is so easy to get carried away with eating lots of high fat and delicious food. I'm afraid that my eating habits are causing me to stay at my current weight. I'm trying to get fit not fat! Do you have any tips to help me gain control of my food portions?

A: Well, this is a hard time of year to be strict about your diet. There are so many wonderful temptations. Don't be too tough on yourself! Stay on track most of the time, but make room for a few indulgences now and then. There's no need to be a food scrooge as long as you are watching what you eat the rest of the time and you are exercising.

Okay, so how can you keep everything in line? Here are some tips:

• Before you begin to eat a meal assess the amount of food on your plate. Is it too much? Remove any excess and leave only the amount that fits in with your calorie plan. Eat only that amount.
  
  
• Ask yourself before eating: Am I hungry? What would I really like to eat?
  
  
• Think about how your food balances out over the whole day and then for the whole week. Is it nutritionally balanced? Is it possible that you are not really eating that much when you look at the bigger picture?
  
  
• Keep a food log to track what you're eating.
  
  
• Review your exercise plan. Is it time for a change? That is often more of the culprit than the food. You may need a new challenge in order for your body to make an adaptation and release some fat. Try a new activity.
  
  
• Are you doing any sprints? If not, you need to add a wind sprints component to your fitness plan. Insert several (5-10) quick bursts of intensity followed by a recovery into your aerobic exercise.
  

Give this a try and I hope you will see some improvements soon. Enjoy the holidays!