“I was so ready for the Christmas party – excited to see everyone and have fun. But after arriving, I found myself parked by the food table stuffing my face and unable to stop. I felt miserable the next day.”
Ever felt that way? I know I have and many of my friends and clients have told me the same thing after their holiday party.
But you may not have set yourself up for success before the party. Are you making these mistakes when going to a holiday party? These are mistakes that can make or break your health goals, but you can easily modify.
Let’s see if you’re making any of these 3 common mistakes:
- You have a party coming up tonight and decide you’ll just skip breakfast and lunch so you can “SAVE UP” the calories for later. Is this you?
- You get to the party – now famished – eager to eat without a plan. Is this you?
- You overthink about avoiding the so called “unhealthy” foods and are stressed. Is this you?
Let’s dive a little deeper.
First, if you’re going to a party you think you can skip two meals so you can eat whatever you want tonight. Sounds logical right? Umm. No! If you go to a party with an empty stomach, you’ll probably arrive feeling exhausted, fatigued, and irritable because you haven’t eaten anything all day! Plus, you’ll just want to overeat and probably will. And then you’ll end up feeling miserable afterwards. So what to do instead? Eat a healthy breakfast like a smoothie with some spinach, chia seeds, ½ avocado, clean protein powder, and some blueberries. Or some leftovers from dinner the night before. You can do this for either breakfast or lunch that day.
Second, you don’t have a plan on what to eat at the party. Let me ask you a question – if a football team, basketball team, soccer team, or a gymnast doesn’t have a plan, what happens on game day? Or for the gymnast at their competitive meet? They’re going to play or perform terribly and probably lose the game, right! And if you don’t have a plan for eating at the party, then you’ll just think “I can eat anything I want and as much as I want!” So having a plan is key to eating at your party this year. Here’s a tip: Just come up with 2 – 3 guidelines on what you’re going to eat or allow yourself to eat such as limiting appetizers to 2 or 3, splitting your dessert with someone, eating only 2 – 3 bites of that special dessert, or drinking water throughout the evening which will curb your appetite.
Finally, you’re overthinking and stressed about the food. You worry and drive yourself nuts about what you can and can’t eat at the party. If you do this all season, then you’re going to lose joy that is found by interacting with others and enjoying some of the special holiday food. When we stress about anything, you’ll cause your cortisol level to increase. This is the stress hormone that actually can lead to more belly fat which none of us want. So if you’re wanting that special cookie or brownie that your bestie always makes during the holidays, then eat it. But just eat one or two. Give yourself permission to do that and promise yourself you’re not going to stress about it or feel guilty.
So let’s recap:
- Don’t skip meals on the day of the party. Eat something healthy and light for breakfast and lunch.
- Have a game plan for what you’re going to eat at the party.
- Don’t stress about the food. Allow yourself a treat and no guilt.
And to help you during the holidays, I have a special short program to help you – my Healthy Holiday Baking Series. It’s December 8-12, 2024 – only 5 days (cause we are all so busy this time of year). You’ll learn effective and practical strategies and swaps to help you bake delicious goodies during the holidays with a healthy twist. Sign up here for the Healthy Holiday Baking Series. You can have your cake and eat it, too:) And feel free to share this with your friends or family.
I am a health and wellness coach but also an autoimmune and IBS warrior who has battled fatigue, brain fog, pain, weight issues, thyroid and digestive problems, anxiety, and depression. So I understand where you are. But I’ve learned over the years how much nutrition and lifestyle factors into my health and wellness. I’ve helped clients and myself using quick and easy swaps for delicious meals and treats. I also have private and group health coach programs. So if you’d like to see what is involved in working with me, please contact me here for a free 20 -minute discovery session. — Leah Cheshire, MCD, CCC-SLP, NBC-HWC
