Health Tips: Office Holiday Parties

Thanksgiving is over and if you are reading this, you apparently made it out alive.  I was able to spend Thanksgiving afternoon playing with my cousins boys (thanks for letting me borrow your kids, Jamie!) and Friday morning I was my mom's guest at her Zumba class.  So I hate myself a little less for the multiple slices of the chocolate cake with cheesecake filling and 2 inch thick fudge-like frosting I ate.  I miss you cake!

But Thanksgiving is just the beginning of the holiday challenges.  I have my first holiday office party this weekend.  I've been reading articles about tips to avoid overeating at holiday parties and I wanted to share a few ideas with you.  Some I thought were pretty creative and some are pretty standard, but worth sharing.

• Bring a clutch instead of a purse.  This way you have only one hand free for chowing down.  
• Stay away from where the food is located.  If you are standing next to a buffet table it is way too easy to nibble all night.  Walk around, mingle, have fun! 
• Wear a shirt or dress with a ribbon or belt across your stomach.  This makes you very aware of your tummy filling up and makes overeating a little more uncomfortable.  Also, it's cute.  Not recommended for men.
• Have a healthy snack before you get your party on.  If you are starving when you arrive, you are likely to pig out on food that is unlikely to be healthy.  Something with some fiber and protein will help keep you full.  Off the top of my head...apple slices and peanut butter.
• Bring your own healthy food.  If you are bringing a food, bring yourself something you can feel good about eating.  Fruits, veggies, whole grains, go nuts!
• Stand.  I know it sounds silly, but you really do burn almost twice as many calories standing as you do sitting.  I am standing as I type this.
• Go easy on the alcohol.  Remember that your favorite adult beverage is not calorie free.  A bottle of light beer has about 110 calories, a 5 oz glass of wine has about 130, and an ounce of liquor has about 70 calories.  Also, you don't want to be that person on Monday. 

I hope these are helpful.  Have fun at your holiday parties!