Beginning in November through December, I’m often asked the following:
*How can I eat healthy during the holidays without the cravings, temptations, without gaining 5 – 10 pounds because I want to fit into my favorite jeans?
*I don’t want to end the year heavier than I am now so how can I eat?
*I’m tired of being tired and am beginning to think that maybe what I’m eating is affecting me. What do you think?
*What can I do because I’m tired of not having energy to get through the day or to really enjoy my day and family, friends, work, or activities?
*I don’t like the foggy brain – the unclear thinking, losing focus and being distracted. Do you think it’s because of the sugar or other things I’m eating over the holidays?
Do these strike home? Are any of them what you wonder each year during this season? The holidays and eating can be tricky ones when you’re wanting to stick to your health goals. And when you don’t have a plan. But that’s not you. Keep on reading.
I’m going to talk about the 5 mistakes you may be doing in holiday eating. Plus, some strategies on how to overcome those.
This year probably more of us will attend parties or maybe even host events where they’ll be a lot of eating. So I’m asked all the time, “Leah, how can I not gain a lot of weight during the holidays? Or feel bad during the holidays from overeating. What should I eat or fix for my dinner party or event?”
I really do understand.
If you have been a sugar lover like I’ve been (or maybe you still are) and/or have autoimmune issues like I do, you know that eating sugary foods and carbs do not help your health. And during the holidays with all the food around, the sugar or carb monster may come knocking at your door. So what can you do other than book a trip to the Sahara for the next 2 months?
Are you making these 5 mistakes I often see people doing in holiday eating which can cause more fatigue, foggy brain, and an expanding waistline?
1. We stress. Yep. I’ve even done it. Maybe you have family coming over or friends. You’ve got some who get along and others who don’t. So you’re worried not only about cooking the food and getting it on the table, but maybe you’re concerned about relationship dynamics. The first way to help yourself is to breathe. Yes, take time to relax, breathe deeply, and just be still amidst the chaos. Try this 5-5-5 plan: inhale slowly for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds, and exhale for 5 seconds. Just doing this 5 times can help calm you down.
2. The second mistake is to cook only the traditional high carb and high sugar foods because that’s the way you’ve always done it. Yes, you want to continue traditions because those are important. And maybe Aunt Jane makes the best stuffing or your cousin makes the best pie. Those are fine to keep. But begin something new, too. Prepare healthy alternatives. Whether you are hosting a dinner or party or just attending one, prepare a healthier version of favorites like a green bean casserole, spinach and artichoke dip, or even desserts made with gluten free flours and little to no refined sugars. You can still have other processed foods for convenience for others, but it is courteous to offer healthier foods for those on special diets or just wanting to eat healthier overall.
3. You arrive at the party starving! You think well, there’s going to be a lot of food so I want to “save myself” enough room to eat it. Let me just be abrupt. Bad idea. In order to prevent you from overeating or being so tempted you completely derail any health goals that day, make it a point to eat a small healthy snack beforehand such as an apple with nut butter, 1/2 avocado, a boiled egg, a handful of nuts, or a turkey roll and a few strawberries. Just enough to keep the Hangry monster away.
4. You try to avoid anything unhealthy that day. It really is okay to allow yourself a treat now and then. Part of being with family or friends is the social aspect and enjoying some new foods. But remember, if you want to try a special food, it’s a treat – not an excuse for the runaway sugar-binging train to go off the mountain. Decide before you attend the event if you’re going to allow yourself a treat, dessert, or even a savory dish and how much. Then, don’t eat more than that. Remind yourself WHY. You made a commitment to yourself because you care about yourself, how you feel, and your health goals.
5. This is a biggie that I used to do frequently – feel so guilty, discouraged, mad at myself that I’d just say “To heck with it. I’m just going to eat whatever during the next 2 months and then get back to eating better once the New Year comes.” You may even go so far as to be really down on yourself and say, “I can’t do this. It’s too hard to eat during the holidays. I’ll never be able to lose weight, feel better, fit into those special jeans or dress again. I don’t know why I ever try.” Is that you? Have you ever said that or thought that? If so, I want to reassure you that you’re not alone. I’ve done that years ago and some of my clients have as well. However, why would you want to completely sabotage yourself, your health, your goals, your mental and physical health but saying something so negative to yourself? You wouldn’t say that to someone else, right? All that kind of talk will do is completely bring you down, fill you with despair, and no hope. And there’s always hope and you can always change.
So what if you do have a sugar binge over a day or two after that party you attended where they offered a mouth-watering morsel of ________ (whatever is your favorite food)? Relax, it happens to everyone.
But here’s the key – get back on track ASAP. Just begin again eating healthy, maybe add a salad the next day, exercise or walk around the neighborhood, and (this is important) get rid of any tempting leftovers. Options – bring them to work or send them to work with your spouse or a friend, share with a neighbor, bring them to the fire station or police station, or throw them away. If a food is a temptation (your trigger), you don’t need to feel guilty or ashamed that you have a difficult time resisting it. Just admit it to yourself and take steps to get it out of sight! This is my personal best course of action. While I can resist some things, if it’s here in my house for long, I will sniff it out like a coon dog hunting a raccoon! So I give it away or toss it!
Remember, the holidays are wonderful times to celebrate our faith, traditions, relaxation, and being with family and friends. Celebrating with food is part of it, but we don’t have to let it completely derail all our hard work in our health goals.
We don’t have to gain weight or eat ourselves into a carb or sugar coma complete with brain fog, bloating, or guilt. Try these strategies this holiday season and see if they are beneficial in maintaining your goals while also enjoying this season.
And if you’d like one-on-one help from a health and wellness coach, please contact me here for a free discovery session. Here’s what one of my clients recently said:
“I always thought I wouldn’t want anyone telling me what I could eat – the program does not work in that manner. Having to be accountable to Leah is exactly what I needed. She provides you with sound – not advice – but suggestions and an enormous amount of information and tips on eating healthy, supplements, and how to read the fine print on food labels. It did not take her long to have me on the path of feeling better than I have ever felt. I immediately lost weight, felt so good I began going for walks and doing low impact aerobics again. You are really selling yourself short if you don’t sign up with Leah.” – Roxanne
