Thanksgiving is over. The holidays are here. It’s official.
You are going to see articles about eating healthy and how to avoid overindulging this holiday season. I can almost rehearse the tips: Avoid creamy sauces, choose fruit for dessert, and cut calories where you can.
I don’t like “eat-healthy-during-the-holidays” advice because it feeds the illusion that people can’t trust themselves with food. And when people hear something enough, they start believing it.
So while I won’t tell you to eat healthy, I do have some advice about getting through the holiday season.
Jump Ahead
1. It’s a good time to evaluate your eating
If you feel like overeating and indulging all season long, it may be a sign that your relationship with food needs some work.
I used to this exact thing: look for an excuse to eat food that I thought didn’t belong in my diet. Whether it was a vacation, the holidays or the weekend, those were times I was “allowed” (and stuffed myself with) less-than-nutritious foods.
I believe this is an overlooked culprit to overeating and weight problems. People go back and forth between eating healthy and indulging. If they could live happily somewhere in the middle– and listen to their hunger and fullness — their desire to overindulge would decrease.
2. Go for the balance
Rather than eat healthy, I tell people to balance their eating this time of year. So continue meal planning to keep your family on track with nutritious meals and snacks while including your share of holiday food.
I find that people who are able to balance their eating in most situations have made a mental shift. They don’t overly restrict what they eat, they simply prefer to eat well most of the time.
This mental shift changes the language in your head. So instead of saying I “should” or “shouldn’t” eat something, you eat food that you “want” or “don’t want” to eat. I have found that since I’ve made the mental shift years ago, there are less indulgent type foods I really want to eat, and many more nutritious ones I crave.
3. Don’t graze, eat meals
In his research, Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating, finds that the average person has already met 90% of their daily calorie needs before sitting down to their holiday meal.
So instead of grazing, fill a small plate with your favorite appetizers, sit down and enjoy every bite. Remind yourself that you need just enough to hold you over (but not to spoil your appetite) until the main meal is served.
4. Stay active
Exercise is your secret weapon during the holidays. It’s a stress reliever and it gives you the additional energy you’ll need.
And there really is no better time to be active. The weather is crisp and the gyms are free of crowds. I try to sign up for a walk/run in late December/early January. This way, I’m more motivated to run all December long.
5. Cut back on the to do’s
The stress of the holidays makes matters worse. Families aren’t eating together, food is grabbed in a hurry, and many parents stay up late doing more stuff.
Ask yourself if you really need to do everything this year. Maybe it’s time to cut back, be choosy about how you spend your time and focus more on enjoying the season.
Any thoughts? What do you do to stay balanced during the holidays?
Try one of Maryann’s books in the New Year:
My Body’s Superpower: The Girls’ Guide to Growing Up Healthy During Puberty
From Picky to Powerful: The Mindset, Strategy, and Know-How You Need to Empower Your Picky Eater
The Family Dinner Solution: How to Create a Rotation of Dinner Meals Your Family Will Love
i am new to your blog….
i like your perspective…what resonates with me in your blog is that it really is a mental shift….
it’s taken me 20 years to get there…i am now 40….but i finally have achieved the mental shift in the past two years…i was the person who could not pass up on cool whip and 2 pieces of pie after a 2-portion turkey dinner….now i am a vegan…filling up on nutritious veggie meals….i do not live a deprived life of eating : )
it’s possible to get there…i am not saying it takes 20 years, but it does take time to get there…and there were many times i failed…but once i succeeded, it feels so much more amazing than eating non-nutritious foods…
I love this. It goes right along with everything I believe from the book, “Inutitive Eating.” Our minds can be focused on what matters most than focusing on what foods we should or shouldn’t be eating. Thanks.
Thanks Jessica! You are so right — focusing on what matters is key.
Excellent post, Maryann. I completely agree 100%. A healthy mindset enjoys all tastes and flavors, but truly appreciates food that nourish the body more than others – and you naturally gravitate toward the flavors of those foods. I have had a passion about nutrition for many years before becoming a dietitian, but it was my dietetic education that really caused my “shift” like the one you speak of. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Angela. It’s funny but my mental shift hapenned after my dietetics education — based on real life experiences with food. I guess we all have our own food journey!
I agree with everything in this post, but could stand to be reminded of these things pretty much every day during the holiday season. 🙂
For holiday meals, I tend to just eat what I REALLY want. There’s no sense in using up belly space with foods I don’t love…so for Thanksgiving this year, I did just that- I ate my favorites, and that’s it. I ended both meals (one at my parents’ and one at my in-laws’- on two separate days) feeling satisfied, but not stuffed. It was wonderful.
Define well on how to approach the eating habits of a person. How to eat properly (not just to grab anything especially when we are in a hurry) and a person dont have to be overeat whatever they see.
I had wanted for the holidays to go somewhere, but there is nothing worse for a figure than the buffet at most hotels. So now I try to celebrate holidays at home with his family.
You read my mind today! I was about to write a blog post myself on the same topic. So many like-minded people out there. I read a “holiday eating tip” today that said to sit where your back faces the food so you won’t be tempted. My goodness! Too many rules! Anyways, love what you’re doing here. LG
Thanks Landon! Your blog looks great…good luck with it!