Staying on Plan at Office Parties

Staying On Plan at Office Parties
Article By: Geraldine Vincent

Help, I’m trying to lose weight, but between holidays and birthdays there is always a party in the office. How can I still go and stay on Plan?
With the holiday office party season in full swing, you can still maintain your goals of achieving a svelte, elf-like physique rather than channeling Santa and his bulging belly.
The holiday season is a grueling stretch marked by party after party and finger foods galore. You know the culprits, like avocado and sour cream-based dips, world cheese platters of Brie, Camembert and Stilton, deep-fried calamari — and that’s not even counting the beer, wine and booze. As if that’s not enough, you’ve also got employee birthdays, retirements and engagements as further reason for celebration at the office, complete with PointsPlus budget killing goodies.
Although you’re on Plan, it doesn’t mean you need to insult your boss by passing on a piece of her prizewinning strawberry cheesecake. With careful planning and a little bit of discipline you can stay within your daily PointsPlus Target and continue to lose weight through the holiday season.
Portion control
One of the simplest ways to monitor how much you’re eating is to consolidate your food for the evening onto one small side plate.

“Fill half your plate with vegetables, one-quarter with a lean protein such as chicken or fish — not fried, breaded or soaked in oil or a marinade — and one-quarter with ‘your choice’ as long as it stays within your recommended PointsPlus values for the day. If you go back for seconds, choose mostly vegetables and a serving of protein,” says Jaimie Sherry, MS, RD, CDE, CDN a nutritionist at New York Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical College.


And as WeightWatchers.com Men’s Success Story Bryan Cohen says, “I’ve found that I can get by with eating Office Party Tips
Tips from Jaimie Sherry, New York Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical College nutritionist:
• Don’t go hungry. People often skip meals or eat less before the big meal. You are more likely to overindulge if you have not eaten enough all day.
• Exercise the day of your holiday celebration. Feel good about yourself, burn extra calories and remind yourself that you are working hard at your efforts.
• Determine ahead of time at least two ways of turning your attention away from food.
• If you are going to have an alcoholic beverage, enjoy it at the end of your meal. Don’t let your glass of wine determine how much you are going to eat.

smaller portions of what’s being served. Knowing that a big eating day is coming, I make sure I have most of my weekly PointsPlus Allowance in place, just in case! I find that it’s important to have control and know when it’s better to just pass.”

Foods to be wary of
According to WeightWatchers.com nutritionist and recipes editor Leslie Fink, MS, RD, “Anything that comes in a dip or chip basket is dangerous territory.”

It’s hard to keep track of how many times you reach for yet another guacamole covered tortilla chip or handful of nuts. Just 10 cashews have a PointsPlus value of 4. Instead, take single items on a plate and look for more PointsPlus values-friendly alternatives like sushi, grilled chicken skewers and stuffed mushrooms.

Bellying up to the bar
Another red flag is the open bar, offering a bounty of sugary cocktails and creamy frozen drinks, not to mention hearty beers. But if you get roped into doing a few rounds with your work buddies, stick to bottled, light beer or a glass of red or white wine or sangria — each have a PointsPlus value of 4.

As Fink suggests, “Think of ways to add flavor but not PointsPlus values to your favorite drinks, like an extra splash of hot sauce in a bloody Mary, a twist of lemon or lime in your vodka or Diet Coke with your rum.”

Mind over consumption
Instead of having a handful of pigs-in-a-blanket, get out on the dance floor and practice your best Dancing With the Stars moves for some added exercise. Or, how about just chatting with the guy in finance you never see. By keeping your mouth and hands occupied with things that don’t involve food or booze you’ll end up consuming less of both.

So remember, 'tis the season to celebrate, not overindulge. And as much as you should be jolly like old St. Nick, try to avoid the need to loosen your belt buckle by going easy on the eggnog (a PointsPlus value of 10 per cup) and all the trimmings.
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