Notice we said healthier…lifestyle changes are sustainable and allow for us to indulge sometimes and still be on plan. The holiday season is upon us and many times families and friends get together and enjoy all types of food, prepared by different family members...and that last part is noted because everyone isn’t preparing the meal based on your dietary needs or wants.
Read more for some strategies that will help you enjoy the holidays and still come out on the other side feeling good.
1. Mindset. Go into the holidays with a positive mindset. You don’t have to go into giving up ALL desserts and counting every calorie. BUT you can go into knowing that you don’t want to overeat to the point you have to wear your stretchy sweat pants or take Pepto shots to get through the night. Go into it with a plan, some discipline, and some Pepto on hand just in case things don’t go as planned.
2. Plan. Having a plan helps to put what we want into words. First decide what you really want to eat and take small portions of those items. We only say that because it’s said that if you eat what you really want without worry you’ll feel better about not overeating. Second, take your time and enjoy what you’re eating. They say it takes 20 mins for your brain to register and let you know that you’re full, so if you’re shoveling food down you’ll be popping pant buttons before you realize it’s time to stop. Savor your food, enjoy conversing with your people, drink some water in-between, time yourself if you need to (fork in hand, napkin close by, stopwatch and go!).
3. Discipline. If you’re even considering this you probably care about your health, so discipline might not be a hard thing....except most of us struggle with it. Turning down amazing food is hard. Take smaller bites and allow yourself to indulge some and then stop. Make plans the next day to take a long walk, do yoga or take a spin class. Not overindulging will help you get back to your normal workout program minus that gluttonous guilt stalking you.
These are some helpful strategies that have worked for us and for our clients. We hope they will help assist you through the next couple of months. Happy eating…..We mean….Happy Holidays. 😊