Watch your weight this holiday season by enjoying smart and healthy eating.
It’s that time again…the year-end countdown The five-week gorge-a-thon of festive dinners, office parties, holiday happy hours, and sweets and treats at every turn, that will push your calorie count UP. Between “please pass the fried turkey,” and “yes I’ll have another glass eggnog,” January 1st promises to be another painful hangover – in your head and on the bathroom scale.
But why not strike a balance? Wait…that’s possible? Yes, it is. You can enjoy your holiday favorites, traditions, and special foods without regret or lack of control. You can manage the festivities without the festivities mangling your diet.
Follow these sensible holiday weight-watching tips from Margaret Marshall, author of “
1. Rate all holiday foods
From 1 to 10, ten being your favorite. Eat only your 8s, 9s and 10s, leaving out foods you do not rate highly. 8s are mediocre and really, you can probably have them any time.
2. Portion control
This is vital, even if it is your absolute favorite food. Put a smart portion on your plate, eat it slowly and savor it. Take the time to really enjoy it, don’t just wolf it down.
3. Don’t be a glutton!
See your plate. Like literally, SEE your plate. If you can’t see the plate itself through the food, or if the food is spilling over the sides, you are way overdoing it. Being able to actually see parts of the plate stops you from overeating.
4. Please yourself
This is your plate, nobody is eating the food for you. Take only the food you want, not what others think you should eat or “taste.” If you eat what you want plus what others want you to eat, you’ll gain your weight and their weight, too.
5. Give thee not into temptation
Remove platters of challenging food away from you so that you can sit comfortably and enjoy conversation with your guests. If the food is not removed, and you find it too challenging (like that platter of bacon wrapped scallops….mmmmmm….bacon), remove yourself. Get up and get some air.
6. Listen to your breathing
When you sigh or begin to breathe a little deeper, your body has had enough to eat. If you just want to just curl up and take a nap, your body has probably had enough to eat.
7. Plan some physical activities and or family events
Stop collecting calories and start burning them. You can throw the ball in the yard, take a group stroll, organize a yoga class in the living room (just throwing ideas out here).
8. Don’t cut back on regular eating the day after a holiday to compensate
This pattern leads to overeating. Eat regularly each day between holidays and party days.
Sure, this is that time of the year where we tend to remember that we should be thinking of others. But we should think of ourselves as well. Be as generous to yourself as you are to others. Consider your own health. When you take the time to care for yourself, you’ll be able to better enjoy the holiday season without the associated food/diet/weight guilt that seems to plague this time of the year. Don’t wait until January to do something about it. The doing starts now.
Joe McGee/Pazoo