10 strategies to help you cope with the peak period of dinner parties

December begins with a series of year-end events, including Christmas, New Year’s Eve, the year-end party, and all the way to the Lunar New Year, which are all peak gathering seasons! This period is the best time for you to learn the "art of eating". When you are in a carnival party, grab a cookie here and pour a glass of champagne there, but be careful of the calorie bombs that are everywhere, which may cause you to gain two kilograms during the festival! But, should we miss out on happy times with friends just because we are afraid of getting fat? No, as long as you follow the following "10 tips for party eating", losing weight will no longer be your New Year's resolution.

Tip 1: Eat a little before you indulge

Don't worry, you can still indulge in chocolate cake during the holiday season—just eat less before the holidays! Australian dietitian Lindsey Duncan said: "If you can reduce your intake of 100 to 300 calories a day, you can be less restrained in your appetite during the holidays; reducing these calorie intake is actually not difficult, just don't add sauce or cheese to your salad, or replace your latte with espresso.

Tip 2: Never go to a party hungry

Before heading out to the party, eat a high-protein snack with some fiber and fat to fill your stomach. These foods are better at maintaining a constant blood sugar level than sugars. When you feel less hungry, you won’t eat too much at a party. Nutritionist Pamela Peeke suggests eating fruit, blanched vegetables or low-fat cottage cheese.

Tip 3: Wear slightly tight clothes

A fitted dress can help you stay aware of your belly during a party so you don’t overeat, but don’t wear one that’s so tight that you can’t breathe! "Wearing tight clothing will make you look nice and make you more aware of maintaining your body shape at all times," said Stephen Gullo, a New York-based weight loss expert.

Tip 4: Get super involved in party activities

Don't let your mouth and hands be idle! Stand as far away from the buffet as possible, grab a new friend to chat with, or hold a clutch in one hand and a cocktail in the other; this way, unless you've been juggling in the circus, you're unlikely to grab snacks at the party.

Tip 5: Find healthy foods to eat

If you really want to eat at a party, learn to be picky! Scan the table for fruits and vegetables—even if they’re just for garnish. Nutritionist Pamela Peeke said that in fact, there are many healthier foods served at parties, so try to avoid fried foods and sweet desserts.

Tip 6: Eat everything but only a little bit

We will not restrict your food and drink at the party. After all, it is so painful to watch others eat while you cannot pick up your chopsticks! But please remember, whether it is an all-you-can-eat spicy hotpot or a high-end buffet, you must never eat too much with the mentality that it would be a pity not to eat it. "You can try a little bit of everything, but remember, after the third bite, the delicious taste has faded. You are just exercising your mouth," says nutritionist Pamela Peeke.

Tip 7: Learn how to plate smartly

If you can't even take a few bites, you need to learn how to hold food! Because when food is served buffet style, strangely enough, people will take twice as much food as they normally would. Australian dietitian Lindsey Duncan recommends filling two-thirds of your buffet plate with vegetables and protein, such as shrimp. "This leaves less room for higher-calorie foods like cheese, bread or dessert."

Tip 8: Never touch your favorite snacks

Did you plan to eat just one Oreo, only to find the cookie package was completely empty? If this happens often, you'd better be careful, because the most common things at holiday parties are a bunch of cookies, candies, and cakes! "Everyone has their favorite snacks, and to avoid accidentally overeating, try to avoid them altogether," says nutritionist Pamela Peeke.

Tip 9: Avoid alcoholic beverages

Although the purpose of a party is to drink and have fun, there are countless cases of excessive joy leading to tragedy, and gaining weight is just one of them. Therefore, please limit yourself to no more than two glasses of wine to avoid the loss of self-control after being slightly tipsy and sipping high-calorie party snacks one after another. Moreover, alcoholic beverages are not low in calories. Weight loss expert Stephen Gullo recommends replacing red wine or cocktails with sparkling water to make your stomach feel full.

A quick guide to alcohol calories: A glass of champagne contains about 90 calories, a glass of red wine contains about 155 calories, and a shot of vodka, gin and tonic or a small shot of Jack Daniels whiskey contains 200 calories. A smart approach is to use low-calorie ingredients to mix drinks. For example, rum and cola has 249 calories, but if it is replaced with zero-calorie cola, it is reduced to 110 calories.

Tip 10: Don’t talk about losing weight all the time

Seriously, no one cares if you're losing weight, so don't tell the world about it. Madelyn Fernstrom, founder of the University of Pittsburgh Weight Management Center, said: "Don't tell everyone how healthy you eat, or shout about how fat you are and count calories when others are eating. Not only will it spoil the fun, but some people may feel uncomfortable and even force you to eat more."

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