Healthy Holidays

Holiday Eating Strategies

The average person puts on weight over the holidays. Gaining 5 pounds between the Thanksgiving holiday and year’s end is not uncommon. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can celebrate guilt-free and still enjoy yourself if you have a plan. There are many more gatherings between now and spring. You can use them as opportunities to gain weight or to solidify your game-plan. It’s up to you.

Only Eat Sitting Down
It is easy to graze through events and grab things as you go. The problem here is you don’t realize how many calories you are actually consuming. In many cases, since you aren’t thinking about it, you don’t even realize you are eating anything.

Tip: If you only eat while you are seated, you not only eat less, but you actually enjoy each item more because you are taking the time to savor it.

Eat well the rest of the day
If you keep yourself on track by eating healthy then avoiding the candy and desserts is easier because you will not be hungry.

Tip: Make sure that your meals and snacks are healthy on the day of parties. That way you know that there is room for some goodies as a reward for the good day you put together.

Only buy/bring the treats that you don’t like
What may be tough for someone to resist may not be too hard for you to resist.

Tip: You can control the menu if you host events and you can bring any items you want when there is a potluck or dish-passing event. Bring healthier versions or things you know you won’t eat

Decide what you want to eat ahead of time
Look at the options available to you. Do you have a favorite? If so, why eat all the other stuff just because it’s there?

Tip: pick a treat and enjoy a reasonable amount of it. Sit down and eat it deliberately. When you are done, you can look back and remember you enjoyed it rather than the mindless eating that can go on all day.

This can be a challenging season, or it can be an enjoyable season. It all depends on how you prepare. If you have a plan and can stick to it, things will go well. If you don’t have a plan, how can you possibly stick with anything? You can’t be on track if there is no track.

Keep in mind that none of the tips above are suggesting anything radical or specific to a certain diet. Your plan has to work for you. If you are trying to follow someone else’s plan into the holidays, things will be even more challenging. Make sure that your weight loss or healthy eating strategy is in line with your goals and the things you like to eat. Portion control and exercise have been the best way to live healthy for centuries. Anything that goes against that or adds other stipulations is going to be even more difficult to follow because it isn’t natural.

Good luck! Have a healthy and happy holiday season!