For so many, Diet has always been spelled “Die” with a “T”. Temptation lurks around every corner and any feast is sure to destroy all your efforts to eat and be Healthy.
Time to get a grip.
Admittedly, the holiday season offers up unprecedented opportunities to undo months of good eating habits.
Getting through the festivities with minimal diet harm is easier than think.
Here are some ideas.
Keep it Simple
Overindulgence is often what gets our good habits in trouble. Maybe it is all of the distractions that celebrations offer but we lose focus and what great dietary trouble we can find!
Sooo…
Stay Aware
Engage the challenge!
Know what foods or circumstances usually get you in trouble and work with them. Pretending that tempting goodies (whatever they may be for you) aren’t there seems to make them all the more irresistible later on.
Mindfulness in eating choices really works.
Watch Alcohol Consumption
Besides a whole bunch of empty calories in alcohol, the effects on our judgement can get into all kinds of poor eating/drinking decisions we wouldn’t do sober.
Moderation still applies.
Compromise
Know that you and your Diet are not going to get away Scot free during the holidays. Just learn to settle for less of the lethal stuff.
Think of this as a small reward for doing well all year-long. Instead of eating the whole cake, a small piece will satisfy your emotions without destroying all your dietary work the rest of the year.
Honest! This really works!
Portion Control!
An effective tool in this compromise resolution is to limit the size and numbers of the really fun and calorie-dense foods.
Try using smaller plates when hitting the buffet. You load up less food per trip while giving yourself the visual cue that you have a full plate.
Many of us were trained at an early age that cleaning your plate is required at every meal. Intentionally reducing the amount of foods loaded on your plate means we can reduce some of the calorie hit while still being a member of the “clean plate club”!
Eat Slowly
Our stomach is slow to notify our brain when we are getting full. Slowing the pace at which you eat allows this communication to occur earlier and you end up eating less.
Eat with purpose and your body will cooperate.
Leave the Guilt Behind
Among any other resolutions you might have this season, cutting yourself some slack on your Diet can be equally as important as the other lifestyle improvements you want to start.
If you are initiating some measures to enjoy some good foods during this hazardous holiday eating season, pat yourself on the back and enjoy!
So long as any dietary indiscretions are limited and made with full awareness, feeling bad about enjoying yourself is not needed.
Have fun and enjoy!
Exercise Appropriately
For those who keep calorie balance sheets (not something I recommend), while you are taking on some extra calories, the math would indicate the addition of some extra calorie burning during these days.
Given that we tend to be a little less active during the winter months, some added exercise is a good general principle this time of year anyway.
If you have been the good athlete this winter, then the added set, lap, or distance of your training should help with any guilt you might have found with the indulgent foods.
The same goes with exercise as for enjoying food – things in moderation. The exercise should be within your normal limits and it should still be fun!
Summing Up Your Holiday Diet
A successful plan for eating during this holiday season involves an intention in your eating choices and enjoying the results. You have worked hard in your eating choices all year-long. There is no reason that holiday eating should derail all of your hard work. (Hint: a couple of high calorie days will not undo a year’s worth of good eating habits.)
So, when all of the holiday fun is done and dusted, you can resume your Healthy eating choices knowing that you did not damage your good habits while actually having some fun.
Happy and Healthy Holidays everyone!
A couple of years ago my sister Judy and I were each given a box of truffles. The tiny print said two pieces contained 310 calories and there were six pieces in each box. We were sitting on the bus headed downtown, quietly doing our calculations: Judy was dividing by two and I was multiplying by three. When she realized what I was doing, a look came over her face that is hard to describe. ‘I lost all hope for you’ she says now.
― Abigail Thomas, Thinking About Memoir
Thanks Dr Hal