Did you know the typical American eats as much as 2,000 to 4,500 calories worth of food for Thanksgiving dinner? Given that most women need about 1600 to 2400 calories in an entire day, that’s a lot! All it takes is an extra 3,500 calories to form a pound of fat! And this meal is only one of the many ways we can get caught up in overindulging during the holiday season.
There are many food-focused events or gatherings at this time of year. My feeling is that this is not the time to be thinking about weight loss. There’s just too much in the way of good tasting (if not necessarily healthy) food and special moments to share with others that revolve around food. Why not focus instead on simply maintaining weight over the next 5-6 weeks and let go of weight loss. There’s plenty of time to get back to that when January 1 rolls around.
Just maintaining is enough of a challenge. I’ve come up with a list of 15 tips to keep in mind as you head into the holiday season. Armed with these ideas you’ll be better prepared to avoid overdoing it while at the same time enjoy the best that the holidays have to offer.
I’ll start out with some general tips and then share some specifics for being prepared for the “big” meals and holiday parties.
General Tips
1. Include some kind of exercise in your schedule everyday. If you are able, one of the best and easiest ways to do this is to take a walk for a minimum of 15 minutes preferably in the morning. According to Greg Landry, M.S. an exercise physiologist, even a short walk will get your metabolism elevated, help you to control your appetite, and provide you with greater energy for the rest of the day. I’m sharing this tip first for a reason. It’s just that important!
2. Space out your meals and snacks throughout the day to avoid getting overly hungry. If you become so hungry you could easily scarf down a tray of holiday cookies or large bag of chips with a bowl of high calorie dip and then go looking for more, whose fault is that?
If you’re always on the go and too busy to stop for regular meals, read one of my previous posts for some ideas for healthy snacks to take with you. (28 Healthy Low Calorie Snack Foods to Go)
3. Think about spending less time in the kitchen. Making traditional holiday treats is great. Just scale it back. If you have a need to bake up a storm, plan in advance how you might share those treats with those who are less fortunate.
4. Consider making physical activity the focus of holiday get-togethers. For example, how about beginning a tradition of hiking on a snowy trail, or going ice skating or sledding. If you live in a warmer climate, there are other options. When I lived in South America, we would go swimming on Thanksgiving and Christmas day!
5. Plan in advance for healthy food and treats. Trust me, healthy food can be awesome and just as appealing and delicious tasting as traditional high fat and/or sweet creations. Discover some new possibilities by going to some of the healthy recipe sites on the web. Here are a couple of great sites to explore for ideas: The World’s Healthiest Foods and Nubella (Click on Recipes on the top menu bar and then Low Calories at this site).
6. Do what it takes to get enough sleep! Sleep deprivation actually changes physiology in a way that can make a person more hungry than normal. Also, being tired affects how you feel and can make it more challenging to resist temptations.
7. Limit your alcohol intake. Alcoholic beverages can be a significant source of calories. Also, alcohol can lower your metabolic rate and stimulate your appetite!
Tips for Big Meals and Food-focused Celebrations
Prepare in advance for big meals or party foods. You can handle whatever comes your way from Thanksgiving to office parties to overly-tempting high calorie restaurant meals, if you have a few well-planned strategies.
8. Eat fewer calories than usual the day before a big meal such as Thanksgiving. Don’t skip meals or go without eating at all because that can set you up to more than compensate the next day. Just cut back. Keep meals and snacks small but balanced and spread out as usual.
9. Fill up on low calorie liquids the day of a big meal. Water is your best bet but you can supplement this with some unsweetened tea or coffee or even diet soda. Drink before, during, and after a big meal is served. This will help you eat less for the day.
10. Plan to have healthy low calorie snacks available to avoid going to a party or sitting down to a big meal with an empty stomach. Choose high protein foods for the greatest satisfaction and staying power rather than sweets and refined carbohydrate choices. Foods with high fiber and/or water are also a good choice.
11. Bringing a dish to a get-together with family or friends? Choose to prepare a low calorie nutritious dish to share with others. That way you know you will have at least one healthy lower calorie food to eat. Volunteer to bring sliced fruits and vegetables or a delicious tossed salad made with spinach and mixed leafy greens.
12. Do think of ways to keep busy and entertained that do not involve eating. That way you can avoid eating just to eat whether its before or after a meal simply because everyone else is eating. For example, choose to NOT hang out by the snack table.
13. Eat slowly and enjoy each bite. Eating good-tasting food is a pleasure. (If it’s not good tasting or at least healthy why eat it?) By eating slowly and chewing your food carefully you will give your body time to recognize when you are full. You will also feel satisfied with far less food.
14. Do allow yourself to have some treats! Depriving yourself of some of your favorite holiday foods is not a good idea. Simply save room for a SMALL portion of your favorite dishes. Again eat slowly, savor, and enjoy.
15. Go for a walk AFTER eating a big meal. You may not burn off all the calories you’ve eaten but it will feel good and get you back on track for healthy living.
Above all put food and eating during the holidays in perspective. Overeating at one meal or get-together does not mean you have no will power or you are incapable of managing your weight. It is simply one instance of overeating and nothing more. Over-indulging on occasion is simply part of life. If you have prepared yourself with a few of the strategies I’ve shared here, allowing yourself to overeat a “little” does not have to be a problem. Relax. Enjoy. Happy Holidays!
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