Eating Through the Holidays

04 Dec Eating Through the Holidays

Ah the holidays. Time for family, good laughs, and lots of food. Keeping the weight off in winter is no joke. It’s as if our bodies naturally want to tuck away an insulating layer of fat for cold winter days. Everyone complains about the 5 plus pounds they gain after the two most weight influential holidays of the year, Turkey Day and Christmas. What we don’t consume on the day ends up as leftovers for the next week. Today we will discuss how you can get a handle on eating through the holidays without setting yourself back on the weigh scale.

1. Have a plan
2. Know when to stop
3. Host feasts for control
4. BYOD (Bring Your Own Dinner)
5. Don’t let Family bully you

Have a Plan

Plan for your holidays. Everyone is prepping for the big days of staying in and feasting, figuring out where they may be going and what they should be bringing. COVID seems to have thrown a wrench in normal holiday get togethers, so take this opportunity to create a new tradition for yourself of planning how much you will be eating and what you are allowing yourself to consume. This will help keep you on track when deciding whether to reach for those calorie packed dishes Aunt Ingle brought.

Know When to Stop

As the cold settles in, we get comfy in our coziest attire and plan for the two most weight-influential holidays of the year. Everyone loves a good feast, but the number one problem with Thanksgiving is over-indulgence. It’s hard to say no to another helping of stuffing or another bite of gravy and mash. Listening to our bodies is critical but our minds are so powerful that they can ignore that full feeling as it brings our hand to our mouth for another taste. So how can we overcome the lure for another helping? Set hard limits. Use smaller plates for regular sized portions. This will trick your mind into thinking that you just consumed a huge helping and listen to your stomach’s feeling of satisfaction. Have a good grasp of portion control, even if these means weigh your food on a gram scale for your food journal. It’s alright to be shameless about your weight loss methods, no one has the right to take away your health progress.

Host It/BYOD

You’ve heard the term, “The Host with the Most”, well it’s true. You can be the host with the most, the most control that is. If you are up for hosting the holidays you will be able to control what goes into the main dishes and provide acceptable snacking material. Hosting the party gives you the ability to keep to your meal schedule and introduce healthy options to the holiday feast. If hosting is not an option and your family tends to be heavy handed with the butter, salt, and oil in those “secret family recipes” don’t feel bad to show up with an alternative for yourself. BYOB is standard party practice, so why not BYOD (Bring Your Own Dinner)? There’s nothing wrong with being a picky eater when it comes to your health, if Cousin Ricky gets special pizza for his gluten allergy than you should get to bring your own meal options for your heart.

Don’t Let Anyone Bully You

Sometimes it seems like those who love you the most also hold you back the most. You’ve finally found the resolve to work on yourself when hefty Ol’ Uncle Steve decides to poke fun at your regimented dieting methods. Or Aunt Patty has decided to take it upon herself to become the pumpkin pie peddler for the evening, dishing out heaping scoops of Ice Cream and double slices to everyone. She might encourage you to eat the treat, “Why darlin’ that pie isn’t going to it itself” “What harm could a little dessert do?” Lady get a grip. That’s no treat, it’s a feat. You would have to run for an hour to burn off the calories on that plate alone. Realize that they don’t mean you harm but acting on their words can do you harm. Tell them what your weight loss journey means to you and educate them on what healthy eating looks like. You may be surprised at the results.