You’ve been working hard at removing excess pounds and your work is showing.

Now it’s the time of year when you’re challenged to stick with your plan. So much good food and good cheer! How can you enjoy the season without sacrificing your progress?

7 Easy Steps to Smart Holiday Food Choices

1. Stay in the present. Consider the effect of your actions now, not what you will do later to negate or erase what you’re doing.

2. Never get hungry. Getting hungry puts your weight loss efforts at risk. Your ability to control what and how much you eat gets weaker aa you get hungrier.

3. Keep yourself feeling full. Snack on fruits and vegetables. They’re naturally low in calories and fat, high in water and fiber to help you feel full, and they add valuable nutrients to your body. Being full is especially important before you go to a party!  (see tip #2)

4. Watch what you drink. Liquid calories don’t fill you up the way calories from solid food will. Alcoholic drinks have calories and a tendency to reduce your ability to make good choices. Be very careful when drink.

5. Be picky, picky picky! Don’t eat anything that tastes less than fabulous.

6. Don’t be afraid to ask what is in a dish or how it’s prepared. If you feel rude preface it by saying you have food allergies, or are taking a medication that cause bad reactions with some foods or spices.

7. Bite and write. If you never keep a food diary any other time of year, this is one time of year when a food journal is smart to keep you aware of what and how much.