The holidays are upon us. With the season comes parties and gatherings where food is abundant. Many find themselves indulging on the foods of the season with the intention of getting back on track in the new year. Wouldn’t it be a lot better to just not gain weight over the holidays in the first place though? It’s really not that hard and you’ll feel so much better by the end of the year. Keep reading to find simple ways to stay on track, not gain weight, feel less stressed, and have more energy throughout the holiday season.
Don’t Hang Out at the Food Table
Quite often, food tends to be the center of attention at holiday parties. It doesn’t tend to be of the healthiest variety either. So, the best way to avoid overeating is to make a small plate of the things you really want to try and then move away. You know the saying, “out of sight, out of mind”. You’re much more likely to be tempted to keep eating if it’s right there and easy to grab more.
Bring the veggies/fruit
If you’re attending a party where people are bringing food to share, bring something that you won’t feel guilty eating. It’s pretty easy to throw a veggie or fruit tray together to bring. Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it has to be boring either. A quick search online and you’ll find all kinds of holiday themed ways to prepare some healthier options.
When you bring the fruits and veggies you’ll know ahead of time that there will be at least one healthy option to go for to tame your hunger. Plus, there will probably be some other people at the party that will be grateful for your contribution. I definitely have the reputation as the person who brings the veggies to the family get togethers. I don’t usually have leftovers to bring home afterwards either.
Don’t go to the party hungry
You might think that if you eat barely anything earlier in the day leading up to the party that you are avoiding taking in too many calories overall for the day. Sounds reasonable, right? Just skip breakfast and lunch so I can eat all I want at the party. Unfortunately, that’s not usually how it turns out. If you go to a party starving, you’ll more likely to overeat for the day anyways.
When you have an overwhelming feeling of hunger, you’re more likely to go for the most calorie dense options first. Your body doesn’t like to feel hungry and it will signal you to eat the foods that will fulfill your calorie deficit the quickest way possible. Your willpower to avoid overeating will go way down. So, to avoid this situation, just make sure you eat a light meal of nutrient rich foods before you go. You can still eat at the party, but you’ll most likely make better choices and not overindulge.
Change your focus of the party to not gain weight
If you’re throwing the party, make the focus activity and interaction (not the food). Yes, you can still have food, because let’s face it, you’re guests are going to be very disappointed if you don’t. Just don’t make it the main reason for the gathering. If you plan fun games and activities that get people moving around and interacting with each other, there will be less time to eat. There will be less mindless eating that tends to happen when we get bored.
Don’t overcomplicate it either. All kinds of simple party games can be found online that require minimal prep and supplies. No need to cause extra stress, because that can lead to overeating for some people too. Also, the point of the party is to have a good time and enjoy each other.
If you make cookies, make them less tempting
This one is pretty simple. If you plan to make cookies or other sugary foods to share with friends and family, don’t create unnecessary temptation to eat half of them yourself. I find that, out of sight, out of mind works pretty well to avoid temptation. After you make them, divide them up into different containers for each friend/family and store them out of sight until you can deliver them.
If you designate them as someone else’s cookies, you’re probably not going to eat them yourself. Having a large container of all the cookies together sitting right on the counter is much more tempting. You can easily reason that taking one or two here and there won’t matter. However, you just might lose count and end up going way overboard.
Don’t drink your calories over the holidays
It’s one thing to overeat, but it’s much easier to get way too many calories in what you are drinking. We don’t feel as full after drinking as we do with eating, and many drinks can be loaded with a lot more calories than you’d expect.
Whether it’s non-alcoholic or not, the calories can add up quickly. One 12 oz. soda typically has around 140 calories in it. A 5 oz. glass of red wine has 120 calories and a 12oz. beer has around 150. If you just have one, not that big of a deal. If you can’t stop there once you’ve had one, you might want to just avoid it in the first place. Also, alcohol lowers your inhibitions and can lead to overeating as well.
If water seems too boring for you, make it more festive. Just add some cucumber slices, lemons, or oranges to it. It will look more inviting and make it tastier without the extra calories.
Don’t feel bad about saying no to unwanted holiday foods.
You’re not obligated to eat everything offered to you. Just because someone made something and asks you to try it, doesn’t mean you have to accept the offer. I’m sure you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but you should think of your own goals and health as your priority. Tell them it looks delicious, but that you’re not hungry. Who can be offended by that?
Taste, instead of stuffing yourself
Have a taste of what you love, but don’t overindulge. Who likes to feel stuffed? Get your fix, but avoid the regret. The holidays shouldn’t be an excuse to eat whatever you want whenever you want. It might feel good in the moment, but you’ll probably regret it later. It’s a lot easier to stay on track with consistent healthy eating than it is to get back on track. Plus, eating a bunch of junk doesn’t usually make us feel good or give our body what it needs. Unhealthy eating can lead to lower energy, digestion issues and more stress on our bodies. The holidays are usually busy and somewhat stressful to begin with. Why add that to your plate too?
Continue to Practice self care to not gain weight
Just because it’s holiday time doesn’t me you should completely abandon your healthy routines. Continue to stay hydrated. Your body needs water all year round, even during the holidays. Drinking enough water can help you feel less hungry and keep you from wanting to overeat. Less food being consumed will help you not gaining weight over the holidays.
With busier schedules surrounding the holidays you might find yourself getting less sleep. Do what you can to make getting enough rest a priority. When we’re tired we tend to make poorer decisions, which includes deciding to eat half a box of cookies. Or, you might eat or drink more just to help you stay awake. The things you’ll choose will likely contain more sugar to help you boost your energy.
Staying hydrated and getting enough sleep can curb your appetite for those sugary foods that you’re usually trying to limit and keep you feeling better.
Keep moving
Again, I know we’re all busy this time of year, but don’t forget to move when you can with traditional workouts, short exercise sessions throughout the day or an extra lap or 2 around the mall while shopping. When you exercise consistently it actually gives you more energy, which is what you really need when trying to handle the heavier schedule.
If you don’t have 30 minutes of time to block out for a workout, just make sure you fit in as much physical activity as possible. That might mean getting up and moving around for 3-5 minutes every hour. Do 10 jumping jacks, 20 squats, and 15 toe touches at least 5 times throughout the day. That’s not too hard to fit in, is it? If you’re kids are around, make it a game. Set a timer and every time it goes off, you all get up and move (either a preplanned set of exercises or a freestyle method). Make it even more fun and motivating by adding some holiday music. Your kids might love it and want to keep doing it even after the holidays. So, you get the added bonus of quality time with the kids as well.
There you have it, ten pretty simple ways to avoid the extra weight gain over the holidays. If you follow them, maybe this year’s New Year resolution doesn’t have to revolve around get healthier, because you’ll already be winning at that. Ley me know if you try any of my tips and how they worked out for you.
