15 Simple Ways to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Let me start by busting a myth: No, you’re not going to pack on 5 or 10 pounds this holiday season, no matter how many holiday cookies you stuff down your chimney over the next two weeks.

But you are going to gain weight. How much? According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, exactly 0.8 pounds. That may not sound like much—and it isn’t—but here’s the bigger problem: The same researchers found that few people ever lose the weight they put on over the holidays. They simply add to it every year. Before you know it, you’re 10 years old and 8 pounds heavier.

Your mission this holiday season: Hold off those 0.8 pounds. Doing so may prevent obesity—and all the health disasters the come with it—down the road. And it won’t be hard. It’s less than a pound, after all. Here are 15 stupid-simple ways to eat less and stay lean this holiday season.

WHAT YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS! Guys: Here's your shopping list. Girlfriends and wives: This is a must-read. Don't miss the Ultimate Last-Second Gift Guide for Guys.

1. Tell a Joke
When you smile, according to researchers in Brazil, your body releases serotonin—the so-called happy hormone. Serotonin also reduces appetite, and higher levels of it make you more likely to burn fat.

2. Crack Some Nuts
In an Eastern Illinois University study, people who were given shelled pistachios ate 211 calories’ worth while those who had the in-shell variety (you crack ’em open) consumed only 125 calories in the same sitting.

3. Put a Fork in It
Your non-dominant hand, that is. You’ll be more mindful of what you’re eating and end up consuming less. Using chopsticks works, too, especially if you’re not a pro. Just have plenty of napkins on hand.

4. Use a Cheat Plate
With the Portion Plate ($12, theportionplate.com) you see partitions for meat (a quarter of the plate), whole grains (another quarter), and fruits and vegetables (half the plate), along with pictures of foods in the proper serving sizes to guide you.

5. Add Bison to your Herd
Grill up a 3-ounce buffalo steak every now and then. It has only 148 calories and 4 grams of fat. Plus, the 26 grams of lean protein in that bison steak can keep you satisfied long enough to decline dessert.

6. Be an Early Bird
Late risers not only eat more calories (almost 200 more at dinner and another 375 after 8 p.m.) but also eat more unhealthily than those who wake up around 8 a.m., according to a Northwestern University study.

7. Invite a Woman to the Table
Men consume 37 percent less when they eat with a wife or girlfriend than when they dine out with their buddies, according to researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

8. Think about Your Previous Meal
In a Physiology & Behavior study, people who were first asked to recall what they had for lunch consumed about 30 percent less popcorn than those asked to recall a meal from the previous day.

9. Eat Eggs for Breakfast
A study in Nutrition Research found that people who regularly start their day with eggs consume fewer total calories the rest of the day. If you don't like eggs, at least eat something: Regularly skipping breakfast increases your risk of obesity by 450 percent. Just don't eat this: The 18 Worst Breakfasts in America.

10. Slow Down Your Chewing
You’ll take in nearly 12 percent fewer calories than if you scarf down your food, notes an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study.

11. Don’t Eat Meals in Front of the TV
In a University of Massachusetts study, people who ate while watching TV consumed nearly 300 more calories a day. The reason: What you're seeing on television distracts you, which keeps your brain from recognizing that you're full.

12. Have an Apple instead of Apple Juice
Chewing triggers satiety, so you’ll likely consume nearly 15 percent fewer calories, notes the journal Appetite.

13. Get the Bread Basket Off the Table
An Eastern Illinois University study found that people ate 85 percent more bread if it's readily available.

14. Fill Your Plate from the Stovetop
You’ll likely eat up to 35 percent less than if you shovel it from a serving dish on the table, say Cornell University researchers. 

15. Store a Measuring Cup in Your Cereal Box
A full bowl isn’t one serving. Store a ¾-cup measure in your cereal box—it’s a more accurate method of portion control.

YOU AND IMPROVED! Could a 2-Day Diet Could Work for You? Find out in Men's Health News, and discover more tips and tricks that will improve your life instantly!

THIS WEEK'S MEN'S HEALTH HIGHLIGHTS!
> The 100 Sexiest Women of All Time!
> The 20 Best Health Tips of All Time!
> The 100 Best Workout Songs of All Time!