The Secrets to Holiday Eating
The holidays bring an overabundance of food to our lives! Oh, how easy it is to overfill, gain weight, and then be left with guilt and frustration. Try out these tips to save your waistline and feel great about yourself after the holidays have passed!
- Avoid skipping meals and snacks earlier in the day prior to a holiday meal. This is a sure-fire way to set you up for cravings, overeating, or binge eating.
- Take an active role in planning the holiday meal. Suggest a sit-down meal vs. buffet style.
- Offer to make a healthy dish or two to share at holiday gatherings. This will help to balance out the more rich dishes.
- Allow yourself to eat dessert moderately. Depriving yourself will only lead to feeling left out and may result in “backlash” eating later on.
- Plan ahead so you’re not starving. Find out what time the holiday feast will take place so you can be sure to not arrive hungry only to find out that the meal won’t be served for another 2 hours!
- Be active! Take part in active games like tag football, a neighborhood walk, or a scavenger hunt.
- Focus on other activities and socializing vs. eating and food. Enjoy conversation with family and friends, play card or board games, sing festive songs, or watch a holiday parade.
- Have a plan in place for times when you may notice yourself overindulging. Step away from the table, get some fresh air, or journal your thoughts.
- If you feel like you’ve “blown it”, remember that the holiday is only one day out of 365 days of the year. This one day alone can’t possibly impact your weight or appearance. Use this experience to shape your next holiday into one that feels more successful!
These are just a few of the strategies you can implement to prevent holiday weight gain. Join dietitians Ursula Ridens RD and Lisa Nelson RD for the free teleclass “10 Secrets to Survive the Holidays Without Gaining Weight“. You’ll learn more about steps you can take to stop holiday weight gain and have your specific questions answered. Go to https://www.lisanelsonrd.com/newu/holidaycall.html to sign up!
