Survive The Holiday Season

By By Joanne Eglash
Healthy Lifestyles Columnist
For eDiets Glycemic Impact Diet

Low-carb dieters often dread the winter holidays. They envision temptations such as fudge, croissants and obscenely enormous cinnamon buns lurking in places ranging from the office break room to the local mall.

"Can't I give in and just enjoy one little piece of fudge?" an eDiets member recently emailed me wishfully. "And maybe one of my best friend's cheese croissants at her holiday open house? After all, cheese is low-carb, right?"

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Ah, the deceptive power of what I call "magical" thinking. For example: "I can have fudge on my low-carb diet because it's made with butter and cream."

Uh, well, yes, but it's also made with sugar. Lots and lots of sugar equal lots and lots of carbohydrates equals all those pounds that you worked so hard to lose are unmagically regained.

Don't become your own worst enemy at the holidays. The solution? Arm yourself with low-carb temptations-resistant armor:

• For breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner, focus on the power of protein. Eat before you dash out the door, whether it's to the office or a party or shopping. For example, if you're on a low-carb food plan but love the crunch of high-carb treats such as corn chips and potato chips, try a high-fiber cracker topped with melted string cheese. You'll be fortified with protein power AND fiber –- the perfect combo for low-carb dieters.

• Don't hesitate to bring your own food. Tuck individually packaged string cheese or a small plastic bag of almonds in your purse for shopping or the office. Call your hostess or host before a holiday party and say that you're on a special food plan and would love to help them and yourself by preparing a special dish. For example, for a buffet table, a large platter of sliced turkey and chicken, interspersed with a variety of cheeses, and surrounded by black and green olives, with perhaps a small plate of high-fiber party breads or crackers. That should please other guests, your hostess or host, and you.

• Drink water. Frequently, what you think is hunger is in reality thirst. Your body will feel better when it's hydrated, your skin will benefit as well (not enough water can lead to dry skin, which is often a problem in winter).

• Exercise. Make it a priority. You'll feel better emotionally as well as physically. It doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing effort. I know many wanna-be exercisers who feel that "if I don't run 5 miles, I might as well forget about exercising." Go for three 10-minute walks each day -- walk the dog, walk to the post office, go for a family hike after dinner -- and you'll succeed with your exercise goals. Just be consistent.

• Now brush your teeth, rinse with mouthwash and congratulate yourself: You survived another day of holiday madness with your diet and health going strong!

P.S. Have friends who keep talking about going on a diet or wanting to lose weight? Then you know the perfect holiday gift for them: a membership to eDiets!

Need a diet that'll let you eat filling, tasty foods while you lose weight? We offer 23 personalized plans, including the red-hot carb-smart GI Diet. Visit eDiets to fill out a free diet profile.

Joanne Eglash has worked as a journalist for more than 15 years, specializing in health, fitness, diet/nutrition, lifestyles, careers and relationships. Among the publications and websites for which she has written are Shape magazine, Fit Pregnancy magazine, Working Mother magazine, KidsHealth.org, ePregnancy magazine, Every Baby magazine, Entrepreneur.com, the San Jose Mercury News, the Christian Science Monitor, Netsurfer Digest and more. She is the author of How to Write A .com Business Plan: The Internet Entrepreneur's Guide to Everything You Need to Know About Business Plans and Financing Options (McGraw-Hill).