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Holiday Diet TipsHow To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
Here's my Holiday Diet Tips, and my holiday weight loss report. Holiday dieting is always a challenge, so I chose to temporarily suspend my Nutrisystem diet plan while I attended the Scottish SBI! Conference in Edinburgh with other webmasters, from June 9 to June 22.It would simply have been too difficult to prepare Nutrisystem meals for two weeks while attending conference presentations, staying in hotels, and riding trains. Instead, I came up with some holiday dieting tips to help avoid putting on extra weight, and I'll gladly share them with you now. Although I had reached my 25 pound weight loss goal before leaving on my trip, I couldn't help wondering how many pounds I would gain while away traveling. I resolved to eat sensible holiday meals mostly, but I determined to enjoy myself too. And eating local foods is always a big part of my enjoyment while on a vacation. 9 Holiday Diet Tips That WorkHere's the holiday diet tips I used and found helpful:1. Start your holidays with a holiday diet plan. Because you will be tempted with delicious foods while on vacation, decide how much you'll allow yourself to eat. For example, plan to enjoy a dessert with your evening meal and eat lighter fare at noon. 2. Don't be too strict, or you'll be setting yourself up for failure. Holidays are when you should allow some relaxation from your normal diet routine. Don't try to avoid special foods or treats, but develop your moderation skills. 3. Don't be too hard on yourself. So what if you slip up and overeat one day! One day of overeating won't make much difference in the long run. A diet is only ruined when you have too many days of overeating in a row. Simply accept the slip up and try harder the next time. Just don't give up and continue making poor eating choices. 4. Moderate your alcohol intake. Holidays are when special drinks are often enjoyed, but keep in mind that the calories will add up. Consider alternating between alcoholic beverages and diet soft drinks, or mineral water. 5. Wear tight fitting clothes, or a tight belt. Clothes and belts that feel a little tight will serve as a slightly uncomfortable reminder that you need to eat in moderation. This is a simple holiday diet tip, but it really works! 6. Choose healthy meals. Healthy eating needn't mean bland and unappetizing. By all means eat your favorite foods, but try to choose healthier versions and lighter portions if the menu permits. 7. Plan for times when food and drink aren't readily available. If you're chatting or relaxing in a hotel lounge or by a pool, it's often too tempting to raise a glass or reach for a snack. Relax instead at a secluded beach or park where snacks are not readily available. 8. Eat something satisfying before you go out to a restaurant. When you know you're going to a restaurant, enjoy a low calorie snack before you leave. 9. Pack some low calorie snacks when you go on vacation. A small 100 calorie granola bar or even a little 100 calorie bag of chips or popcorn will take the edge off your appetite and -- hopefully -- prevent you from buying a larger treat at a convenience store. My Holiday Diet Tips At The Conference
Enjoying Shortbread Snacks At The Conference I must admit that snacks were a big temptation while at the Scottish SBI! conference. There were endless packages of Walkers pure butter shortbread cookies, and the Walkers ginger cookies were equally delicious. Walkers cookies are impossible to resist, so I limited myself to snacking on one or two cookies at each coffee break. Our noon meals at the Holiday Inn featured of an all-you-can-eat Asian buffet that was simply to die for. I determined to eat whatever I wanted, but I exercised moderation by limiting myself to one platter of food, and I didn't return for second helpings. Except for one meal when I did sneak back to the buffet table; it was simply too delicious to resist! And after all, this was a holiday. My Holiday Diet Tips In EnglandMy wife and I traveled to Thirsk in North Yorkshire after the conference, where we stayed at The Three Tuns Hotel on the cobbled Market Place, and mostly ate in its Wetherspoon Pub. By enjoying one evening meal each day and eating lighter fare at noon, I could avoid over indulging while getting to enjoy delicious English pub meals of steak and kidney pie and English fish and chips. Dare I mention the sticky toffee puddings?
The Three Tuns Hotel, Market Place, Thirsk, North Yorkshire The Three Tuns Hotel was originally built in 1698 as a Dower House for the Bell family, Lords of the Manor of Thirsk, and was sold and converted to a coaching inn around 1740. The English poet William Wordsworth once stayed overnight in 1802, while on a long walk across the Yorkshire moors. It was a treat for us to stay at the quaint Three Tuns with its beautiful Queen Anne staircase, and its earlier connection to my Bell ancestors. My Holiday Diet Tips In ScotlandLater, we returned to Edinburgh where we lodged at "The Hedges Guest House," an affordable 4-star guest house accommodation beside historic Calton Hill, for our remaining time in Scotland. Our host Heather MacDonald spoiled us with a marvelous Scottish breakfast each morning that kept us going throughout the day until we had our evening restaurant meal.
The Hedges Guesthouse, Our Home Away From Home In Scotland When you visit Scotland, plan to stay at The Hedges Guesthouse at 19 Hillside Crescent in Edinburgh. You'll love it! Please tell Heather MacDonald that I sent you. She'll make you feel at home. Heather's breakfast choices included homemade oatmeal porridge served with a choice of heavy cream, whisky or honey. That was followed by the choice of a fruit platter, poached kippers, smoked Scottish salmon, or a full Scottish breakfast consisting of haggis, Ayrshire bacon, sausages, and eggs. All delicious and all served in a beautiful dining room. Believe me, I did not think "diet" when starting the day! 
Enjoying A Delicious Fruit Scone At Holyrood Palace Cafe We purposed to eat very light at noon, and we were never really hungry after our large breakfast anyway. For instance, a cup of coffee with a sandwich aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia or a homemade scone at Holyrood Palace made a satisfying lunch, and we were treated like royalty by the friendly Scottish staff. However, one day we couldn't resist trying a deep fried Mars bar at the Clamshell fish and chip shop on the Royal Mile -- tons of calories. There went the diet that day! And before you criticize my lack of restraint, I've included a recipe for deep fried candy bars in my candy section to tempt you. Your curiosity won't let you resist. 
Light Lunch Aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia After a full day's walking and sightseeing in Edinburgh, we always looked for a fine restaurant for our main evening meal. One evening, we enjoyed a lovely pub dinner of wild venison pie with mushrooms and the next night we experienced fine dining with braised lamb shanks. So you can see that I didn't starve myself. Another evening while attending a Scottish "Ceilidh" (pronounced Caley) at the Ghillie Dhu, we enjoyed a traditional haggis with bashed neeps and tatties, chicken breast stuffed with black pudding, followed by a traditional "cranachan" or cream crowdie, with a rich buttery shortbread biscuit. Diet fare to be sure! My Holiday Diet Tips Back HomeAfter returning home from Scotland on June 22nd, I spent the next week taking time off to relax and enjoy the warm summer weather. It was also a good opportunity to scale my eating back to proper portion sizes. I continued to follow my holiday diet tips, though, limiting myself to one main meal each day and practicing light eating at other times.By applying the holiday dieting tips, you'll be able to return home from your vacation without having gained too many pounds. You CAN have your cake and eat it too! Just make sure that it's a SMALL piece! Above all, remember to have a good time and enjoy your meals! If you find yourself feeling frustrated that you can't eat everything you want, concentrate on the other aspects of your holidays. Consider all the fun things you can do that don't involve eating, especially things that involve physical activity. You can avoid holiday weight gain by keeping active. And don't worry if you can't apply all the holiday diet tips, even if you can only use a few, you'll be better off weight-wise. My Holiday Diet ResultsI really did not expect to lose weight while on vacation. After all, my holiday meals were not chosen from a diet perspective. But, by using my 9 holiday diet tips, I tried to limit my portion sizes and eat sensibly.So, after three weeks of holidaying, did I gain weight or lose weight? Let's find out: Weight At Start Of Holiday = 216.4 lbs Weight At End of Holiday = 222.2 lbs Holiday Weight Gained = 5.8 lbs Well, it could have been a lot worse! And although I gained a little weight, I am happy with the results. 5.8 pounds is not a lot to lose again. I should be able to lose it within a couple of weeks. Holidays are a special time and it's only natural that you should indulge yourself a bit. But, nonetheless, you need to keep your health in mind and not be tempted into going completely overboard on eating. The best holiday diet tips are the ones you can stick to without being too strict. Can you be on a diet yet still enjoy special meals and treats while on vacation? The answer is a definite YES, but always in moderation. TOP of Holiday Diet Tips RETURN to Grandma's Kitchen HOME to Dessert Recipes Grandma's Homemade Dessert Recipes
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