Originally published in the November 2010 issue of the Healthy Habits e-Newsletter.

Even if you love the holidays, if you’re trying to lose weight and get healthy, those festive gatherings can be a challenge. Winter holidays mean family, friends, and yes, a lot of food.

You may find yourself a little more stressed than usual (even if it’s happy stress), a little short on sleep, and maybe a little more vulnerable to making unhealthy choices.

Does this mean you have to stay home and hide from all the fun? No way! Just like you plan what you’re going to wear, you can anticipate holiday gatherings and think ahead. With a little insight, you can navigate parties and celebrations and enjoy yourself while you stick to the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan.

General holiday helpers
•List your long-range health goals, and re-commit to them.
•Get adequate sleep and relaxation, stress can be a trigger for going off-plan.
•Keep your favorite ready-to-eat Medifast Meals with you, in your car, your purse, or your briefcase so you can eat on schedule wherever you are.
•Choose to make or buy holiday treats that are easier for you to resist. (Hate coconut? Make macaroons.)
•Chew all your food carefully and mindfully.
•Kindly remind friends and family that you’d rather not get food gifts this year. If you receive them, thank the giver and later pass the food on to someone else. “Re-gifting” is okay when it keeps you on plan!
•If you eat something off-plan, just get back on schedule and continue-don’t lose precious time by waiting until tomorrow to start over.
•Pick fun holiday events that aren’t food-centered, such as volunteering, crafts, hayrides, parades, decorating parties, and sporting events.
•Get friends and family involved in healthful activities, such as regular walking, to burn calories and relieve stress.
Practical party tips
•Write down a specific plan of action for each event.
•Eat one of your five Medifast Meals right before you leave so you’re not hungry.
•If it’s potluck, bring a healthy dish that you can enjoy, like a beautiful tray of fresh veggies.
•You can eat your Lean & Green Meal at the event: Fill a small plate with fresh vegetables and add lean protein, such as steamed shrimp or roasted turkey breast.
•When hosting an event, delegate tasks so you’re not overwhelmed with handling food all day.
•After a holiday meal at your home, send leftovers packing with guests so you’re not tempted.
•Volunteer to be a designated driver-it’s a great excuse to avoid calorie-laden alcoholic beverages.
•Stay occupied by enjoying the company of those around you, preferably at a distance from the food.
•Show off your weight loss with a great-looking outfit and let the compliments motivate you to keep up the good work! (Who knows? You may inspire someone else to get healthy too!)
Adjusting your mindset

You may feel like being “on Plan” over the holiday season means you’ll be missing out on your favorite foods. That’s a normal feeling.

Yet once you start seeing results and feeling the effects of healthy weight loss, you’ll learn that supporting your long-range health goals isn’t about deprivation, but about creating health for yourself.

Think of it this way: Rather than giving up holiday sugar and fat, you are giving yourself a wonderful gift for the holidays: vibrant health!

As we continue our journey toward Optimal Health, it’s important to remember that a healthy weight can help to reduce the risk of serious diseases, including breast cancer.

Here are ten key facts from the National Cancer Institute:

1. Cancers of the breast (in postmenopausal women) are associated with obesity.
2. Preventing weight gain can reduce the risk of many cancers, including breast cancer and others.
3. Experts recommend establishing habits of healthy eating and physical activity early in life to prevent overweight and obesity.
4. Those who are already overweight or obese should lose weight through a low-calorie diet and exercise. Even a weight loss of only 5 to 10 percent of total weight can provide health benefits.
5. After menopause, obese women have 1.5 times the risk of developing breast cancer and have a higher risk of dying from breast cancer than lean women.
6. Scientists estimate that about 11,000 to 18,000 deaths per year from breast cancer in U.S. women over age 50 might be avoided if women could maintain a BMI under 25 throughout their adult lives.
7. Both the increased risk of developing breast cancer and of dying from it after menopause are believed to be due to increased levels of estrogen.
8. Before menopause, the ovaries are the primary source of estrogen. However, estrogen is also produced in fat tissue, and after menopause, when the ovaries stop producing hormones, fat tissue becomes the most important estrogen source.
9. Estrogen levels in postmenopausal women are 50 to 100 percent higher among heavy versus lean women.
10. Breast cancer is more likely to be detected at a later stage in obese women than in lean women since obesity can make small tumors harder to detect.

Finally, weight gain during adulthood has been found to be the most consistent and strongest predictor of breast cancer risk in studies in which it has been examined. That’s why getting to a healthy weight and following the Habits of Health is recommended by Take Shape For Life and medical experts alike.

SOURCE: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/obesity
National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet: Obesity and Cancer

There are many reasons why it is important to drink water, especially when you are trying to lose weight on the 5 and 1 Program:

• Cravings are really a sign that your body is thirsty. So when you feel a craving coming along, reach for your water.  It’s the cheapest, safest appetite suppressant there is.
• Your initial weight loss is largely due to loss of water and that is why you need to drink a sufficient amount of water in order to avoid dehydration.
• When your body starts burning calories, it needs an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently; dehydration slows down the fat-burning process.
• Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume and this causes a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles which can make you feel tired.
• Burning calories creates toxins in our bodies (think of the exhaust coming out of your car).  Water plays a vital role in flushing these toxins out of your body.
• Drinking water before and with a meal makes you feel fuller and will make you eat less.   However,  drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel satiated (not hungry), our bodies need protein, sufficient calories and nutrients.  All of which can be found in each of the Medifast Meal Replacements and in your Lean and Green Meal.

Read our other post:  WHY WATER IS GOOD FOR YOU

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Keeping the Weight Off – A new plan that can help you make your slim-down permanent.

Watch Dr. Andersen on “Good Morning America – HEALTH”

When you’re on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan, you have clear guidelines on what, when, and how much to eat for your daily Lean & Green Meal.

But what about when you’re dining out?

You can stay on plan with healthy Lean & Green Meals—or healthy options for the Transition and Maintenance phases—pretty much wherever you go. All it takes is a little planning and creativity. Most restaurants have choices that are compatible with the program, or can be, with a bit of modification.

The most important thing to remember is that it’s okay to ask your server questions about “customizing” your order. Most places are more than happy to accommodate special requests and many offer healthier substitutions for free, or for a small additional charge.

Here are some more tips:

BEFORE YOU GO

1. Review plan-friendly options so you know what to look for on the menu.
2. Do your homework. Check out the restaurant’s menu online or in person, or call ahead and plan your order in advance.
3. Get the support you need from family and friends who will be dining with you. Inform them ahead of time of your commitment to your health goals so there’s no pressure to explain at the table.

CHOOSING WHAT TO ORDER
When deciding how to have your food prepared, keep in mind that certain cooking methods can add unnecessary calories and fat to your food.

1. Choose foods that are steamed, poached, baked, broiled, grilled, roasted, or “garden fresh.”
2. Avoid foods that are fried, crispy, creamy, buttery, or served in pastry or with gravy or rich sauces.
3. When eating beef, choose filet, loin (sirloin), or round, and always trim any visible fat from the meat.
4. When in Maintenance, choose items made with whole grains such as brown rice and whole-wheat bread and pasta.
5. Get your food “naked”—with sauces, dressings, or toppings left off or on the side.