Introduction: The cooler months are filled with many diverse holidays.  But no matter what holiday you celebrate, one thing is for sure: there is usually lots of tempting food available.  With often lesser exercise in the cooler months and more tempting holiday foods available, many people associate the holiday season with weight gain.  But it doesn’t have to be this way.  Holidays do not have to sabotage your success.  I have known many people to pursue bariatric surgery successfully during the holiday season and you can be one too.

In this article we will go through some tips to stay on track during the holidays. 

• Try to minimize opportunities to graze.  If you can move away from the buffet or table to signal the end of the meal and move on to other activities, then that will likely be best.  Always make things as easy on yourself as possible.  Having a festive low calorie beverage to sip on such as a pumpkin spice protein shake may also help reduce the temptation to graze as well.  
• Try to minimize taking home a lot of tempting foods as leftovers.  Some leftovers consist of lean protein (turkey, pot roast, etc.) and/or vegetables may make easy high protein meals.  On the other hand, taking home desserts and other high-calorie slider foods can make these foods a temptation for several days beyond the holiday.  Try to avoid this if possible.  If your family or housemates are insistent on bringing home certain items, try to strategically put it in a place where you will not see it as often.  For example, I have found that if sweets such as cookies or candy are sitting right on the kitchen counter where I walk by it multiple times a day and see it constantly, I am liable to eat quite a bit of sweets.  On the other hand, if these foods are stored out of sight in the pantry or cabinet, I will forget about them more easily.  
• Eat protein first.  The good news is that at most holiday gatherings, there is usually some kind of lean protein as the star of the show.  If you eat this first, even if you follow it with some indulgent sides or even a small amount of dessert, you will likely not eat big enough portions to make a significant difference.  This is especially true if you eat slowly and mindfully, taking 20-30 minutes to eat the meal.  Even if you eat a little faster, wait 15 minutes or so after the meal to decide on additional portions.  You will likely feel the fullness sets in and you will feel satisfied.  
• Find healthier alternatives that you enjoy.  The good news is that the internet is full of free, creative recipes that offer healthier alternatives to a variety of holiday favorites.  All you have to do is type “bariatric friendly _______” into Google to find a plethora of ideas.  As an example, I like homemade cranberry sauce, but I know it has a ton of sugar.  So I make mine with Splenda, and it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of it.  There are countless other examples–cauliflower mac n’ cheese, lighter versions of favorites like sweet potato and green bean casseroles.  But here is an important rule–if making a lighter version of that foods makes it unenjoyable for you, the feelings of deprivation created from this may backfire.  If you eat small portions of the regular version mindfully, this won’t make or break your progress.  And that brings us to our last point.  
• Remember one day will not make or break you.  Healthy eating and weight loss is a marathon not a race and everyday is a new day.  Getting discouraged because of 1 or 2 bad days and then feeling as though you might as well give up is much more destructive than any “bad day” or “bad meal” you can have.  In fact, I would be wary of labeling your food choices as good or bad.  Lingering in feelings of guilt or shame doesn’t feel good and, ultimately, it isn’t helpful or healthy.  Your health is very much a cumulation of all your efforts over your whole lifespan.  Every positive effort counts.  Every day is a new day. And it is never too late to make a positive change.