Have you lost weight and want it to stay off? Are you actively trying to lose weight… or, are you a good weight but don’t want the upcoming months, holidays and winter to add on the post-holiday ten pounds?

One of the hardest things is dealing with food and social gatherings.   No matter what holidays you celebrate, food is pivotal in all of them.  Here are the guidelines that work well for me.

The basic thing to avoid is the one component that makes your insulin shoot up, making you WANT more food:  CARBOHYDRATES!

Here’s a good strategy:

1.  Be absolutely sure you eat protein.  Chicken, shrimp, beef, fish, nuts.  Buffets often have smaller portions, so pick your selections so you get your 4 oz. serving by end of night.
2.  EAT FAT.  Yes, I said EAT FAT.  That’s what will satiate you.  So, dips, cheese (if you can tolerate dairy), bacon, dressings that aren’t loaded with sugar.  Fat will make you feel full.
3.  AVOID CARBS AT EVERY TURN.  Put dip on veggies, not crackers.  Skip the treat area and have more chicken skewers!
4. Eat lots of vegetable options, especially raw veggies.  Get your fill of fiber.  Fiber will not only stabilize your blood sugar, but it will make it so that you will take longer to digest your meal.
5. Avoid hidden carbs like processed cheese, certain deli meats that are made with fillers, most fruit, (especially dried fruit like apricots and raisins) and dishes made with honey, agave, and other “sugar” alternatives.
6. A number of cocktails can also contain carbs, especially drinks made with a fruit-juice-concentrate mixer or tonic water.  Stick with a martini and you have zero carbs!  Actually, vodka, gin, rum and whiskey have no carbs.  I often use Club Soda (sorry, tonic has carbs) as a mixer.  Wine has some carbs, but much less than sugary drinks like margaritas, old fashioned, pina coladas, cosmos or mojitos (which can hide 10 to 35 carbs depending on the size).
7. If you are still hungry, eat more fat or have a few more bites of protein or veggies with dip.
8. Finally, if someone pressures you to eat something you don’t want, just say:

“My doctor has prescribed a food plan for me that doesn’t include that, I’d love to eat it but I just can’t.”  That usually stops them cold!