Size Matters!

Serving size, that is.

The holidays are here and everyone is celebrating. The palm trees in Florida are decorated with lights. 'Tis the season for peace, joy, and abundant calories.

How can we get through December without gaining 10 pounds or more?

Maybe you could turn down all invitations to holiday parties. You could stay home and jog on your treadmill each night instead. You could bring your own celery sticks to every gathering and gnaw on those in place of Christmas cookies. You could duct tape your mouth shut in order to avoid consuming any junk food. These measures might work, but they would greatly reduce your enjoyment of the holidays.

Or you might consider portion size.

My mother always says, "Moderation in all things."

Moderation is not new. It's not sexy. No one gets excited about being moderate.

"Let's eat an entire pizza and split a keg of beer!" Now THAT sounds exciting!

Have you ever looked at the portion size listed on the back of your cereal box? A serving might only contain 100 calories, but a serving is TINY. Much smaller than most people would normally eat. The same goes for a serving of spaghetti or soda. In the past few decades, Americans have gotten used to consuming way more than we need.

Of course, there are some foods we tend not to overeat. If you're having a salad, go ahead and supersize it! It's pretty hard to consume too much lettuce or cucumbers.

If you want to avoid weight gain over the holidays, keep this idea of moderation in mind. Before you arrive at a party, eat a moderate amount of healthy food, including protein and fat. The combination will help you feel satiated so you can eat and drink a moderate amount at your holiday celebration. I know it's not exciting, but you might end up happier at the start of the new year!