Choose Healthy Eating this Holiday
You Can Eat Healthy Food Even During This Special Season
The holidays are synonymous with overeating. Every party and every get-together seems to revolve around food. Here's how to eat healthy despite the season's temptations.
The holidays are upon us. If thoughts of all the goodies served at this time of year make you nervous, make you wonder if you can make it through till January without gaining weight, yes you can.
You really can.
Its going to take some thinking, some planning, some preparation, but you can do it. You can stay true to your healthy eating and weight loss goals during this season…a season when most people are overindulging (and often feeling sluggish and gross afterwards).
Take the Time
First, and probably most important, is to make time for yourself! Schedule in “me” time on your daily calendar. Remember that in spite of all the glorious culinary delights you will find yourself facing from Thanksgiving until New Year's, January still comes.
Take a moment, close your eyes and pretend it's January. How do you feel about yourself and your weight? Is this a repeat of years past, or will you be making the effort to take care of yourself and make healthy food choices this season? If so, how could that make a difference in how you feel at the beginning of 2008?
Make sure you say no to some of those extra holiday events and get-togethers that make your life too busy and chaotic. Set some boundaries for yourself. It's too easy to resort to overeating and making poor food choices when you overextend yourself. You are worth it…remember your goals and stay true to them. Just think how proud you will be of yourself!
Try and maintain your current exercise program. Keeping active at this time of year is a great stress reducer, plus it plain makes you feel better! Revel in the knowledge that you are doing something good for yourself.
Practice the "Push-Aways"
Even if you plan to do all of the above, yes, you will still have the food to deal with. Special holiday foods that perhaps you only get an opportunity to eat once a year. There’s no need to deprive yourself; however, there are a few relatively painless things you can do to maximize your healthy eating.
Before you go out to a party or big dinner, eat somethi – something small that takes the edge off your hunger. It will help you from overeating later. Make sure whatever you eat is small enough that you can still eat and enjoy the party fare, but as we mentioned in a previous lesson, being around all kinds of yummy treats when you are famished is just asking for a disaster to happen. (And if it does, no big deal. Remember what’s done is done. Just look forward and move ahead continuing to make the healthy food choices you know you want to.)
Think about the behaviors that help to put the brakes on your eating and enable you to enjoy your healthy food choices. Eat slowly putting your utensils down between bites, focus on family and friends, the conversation – not the food.
Remember to keep a food journal.
Get a small notebook or use your PDA and write down everything you eat or drink. You will be amazed at how simply having to do this makes you very aware of all you are eating and can make you think twice before dipping into the chips and dip one more time. It's an accountability tool.
If you are at a buffet, take your time and think about what you really want. Do you really need to have one of everything? Be discriminating, and choose only your favorites, leaving the rest behind. Eat slowly, savor the tastes, really enjoy the food. Do you really fully taste your food when you are wolfing it down? (Be honest with yourself here.)
One area that can be particularly troublesome is alcohol. Alcohol does have calories, which can add up, same as with any other food indulgence. What can you do to cut down on alcohol? Offer to be the designated driver. Choose club soda with a twist or a diet soda instead of a mixed drink. Have a glass of wine or a bottle of beer, just drink it slowly and make it last.
Choose to eat healthy this holiday season. Come January you'll be glad you did.
