HOLIDAY SURVIVAL GUIDE
12 Ways to Avoid Overeating During the Holidays
The holidays are here and temptations to break all your good habits are everywhere. Here’s some tips to help you get through the season.
1. What you tell yourself is key.
What you tell yourself is key – deficit or abundance mentality? Before you start the day, get still, spend a moment in quiet, get mindful about what is important to you and how can you stay with your goals yet fully receive and participate in this day and the season. It doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.” Deciding in advance will help.
2. Don’t eat your feelings away.
Holidays can be great fun, but can be filled with underlying family stress. If there is a relationship that “makes you want to over-eat,” ACKNOWLEDGE IT. Be honest with yourself, try not mask it with food which you know won’t heal or fill those voids. Let’s be honest we all eat our feelings every now and then right?
3. Eat breakfast.
If you are a breakfast person…eat breakfast every day. Include protein. Generally, this will stabilize you for the day ahead and you will consume less throughout the day. Try doing an egg white scramble LOADED with veggies. STUFF YOURSELF WITH BROCCOLI.
4. Avoid skipping meals.
Especially going into an event or party. This is a surefire way set yourself up and derail your best plans. I don’t know about you but if I go to a full on buffet hungry as hell, it’s really hard to make straight minded decisions. Make time for a training session or some type of physical activity prior to the event. What you do choose to eat will be put to good use. PLUS you’ll get those endorphins going and be in a better state of mind to make a decent decision.
5. Pack Healthy snacks and stay hydrated.
Be a snack smuggler. Megan Roosevelt, R.D., Founder of Healthy Grocery Girl suggests this as her one rule. And so do we for that matter. We packed beef jerky and rice cakes for a trip to the museum with the kids on Sunday. It’s easy if you plan. Roosevelt says, “Traveling, shopping, and running errands during the holidays can lead to fast food, skipping meals, or surrendering to the siren call of Cinnabon. To keep your appetite in check, never leave home without a snack. Choose options made with real ingredients to truly energize and nourish your body.” Pack chewing gum or sugar-free candy. Party nibbling becomes a bit more difficult when chewing gum. Keep multiple packs depending on cravings. Target has the BEST options!
6. Always assess your hunger.
Just because the co-worker brought in the plate of goodies doesn’t mean you have to eat it now. Are you hungry? Does it appeal to you? If so, accept it and set it aside for a more optimal consumption time. YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER FOOD. THAT COOKIE DOESN’T OWN YOU.
7. Don’t eat the crowd.
What do I mean? Don’t eat something especially in excess just because everyone else is. Ask yourself, are you hungry and do you really want it. A taste test is one thing a full plate is another. If you really want it, consciously choose it. Mindfully survey your choices (the buffet) ahead of time. Choose what you would really enjoy. Perhaps choose a broth laden soup, then some protein sources, green salads and your favorite veggie dishes. Consider keeping starchy, fats laden food and desserts until last. This is known as eating “low-to-high” and is a great hunger strategy for keeping calories in check. Remind yourself, that this will NOT be your last chance ever to enjoy this dish. The habit of abundance mentality shows itself strong, when you can tell yourself, “there is more where that came from!”
8. Act like an accountant.
I love this strategy from Epicurious article which suggests we “Act Like an Accountant”—leaving a calorie allowance for dessert. “If you know you’re going to want dessert, rather than denying yourself, simply cut back on the hors d’oeuvres or dinner—this can be as simple as not having bread or avoiding the pasta and having mostly salad or veggies. As with dessert, if you know you want to have the calorie-heavy specialty cocktail, find ways to cut back in other parts of the meal.”
9. There’s always a “choose the smaller plate” option.
Eat slowly, TASTE your food and enjoying the company. If you don’t really like it, move it aside. Consider your portion sizes, serve only what you think you might like, then leave bit of everything on your plate. This can be your offering of Thanksgiving.
10. Stop before the plate is clean.
Stop when you feel 80% full. Remind yourself, “there is more where that came from. Later is another meal, tomorrow is another day, this holiday will come again.”
11. Three bites and good night.
Here’s an interesting desert habit to consider. Lauren Harris-Pincus, R.D.N., of Nutrition Starring You, suggests the “three bites and good night” dessert strategy. “The first bite is the best, the last the grand finale, and every bite in between is the same. In three bites, you get the full dessert experience, so really focus on savoring those three and you’re less likely to overindulge.”
12. Beverages
Oh my—well that’s a whole other topic but a general rule of thumb is alcohol is never easy to fit in when dieting. We don’t suggest playing the accountant game and not eating anything so you can have ten stiff pints of egg nog.
HOW TO PLAN AHEAD FOR THOSE HOLIDAYS
If you plan to have some treats for your meal, eat JUST protein and veggies (no carbs or fats) for the meals leading up prior.
CHOOSE AHEAD. Find out what’s on the menu and then write down the 4 top foods you KNOW you want to have.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Now, decide HOW MUCH you will have of each. And right down the portions next to the food. If there’s one food you LOVE more than all others (for me it’s red velvet cream cheese cake) then limit the other foods to small portions and then have 1 larger portion for the favorite.
If you like all equally—assure them all to be semi-small servings.
COVER HALF YOUR PLATE IN VEGGIES NO MATTER WHAT AND EAT THESE FIRST this will fill you up faster before you get to the good stuff.
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