Originally, holidays were associated only with enjoyment and fun. In our modern times, however, many people look upon holiday eating with dread. They associate it with overeating and weight gain. But what good are the holidays if a person has to feel anxious, out of control, and guilty about their eating? It's time to get back to feeling nothing but joy, relaxation, and fun about the holidays including the dinners. It's possible to enjoy typical holiday meals such as Thanksgiving dinner without losing control and gaining weight.
How to Not Gain Weight During the Holidays
The concepts for not gaining weight during the holidays require some commitment but they are quite simple. By taking the following steps a person can avoid the typical cycle of holiday weight gain, followed by the post-New Year's dieting to lose what has been gained:
- Get physical - Starting a daily exercise program that is enjoyable will get metabolism burning before the holidays arrive and will help minimize or prevent any weight gain. Don't skip the exercise on the day of the holiday, either. By taking the time for exercise before the event, you're also helping yourself relax, which will come in handy later.
- Get priorities straight - The most important reason to partake in the holiday event is to be with friends and family, and to enjoy yourself. Focusing on this leads to relaxation and having fun. Having fun and being relaxed makes a person more active and prevents compulsive eating.
- Relax - Being anxious while eating tends to induce more eating. This is true of most people. Stress often leads to overeating.
- Savor the food - If you're going to eat, you might as well enjoy it and the way to really enjoy food is to savor it. That means focusing on every aspect of it (e.g. taste, texture, smell, and sight). Slowing down is the first step to savoring food. Savoring food helps the body become satisfied sooner so less food will be eaten in the end.
- Make it colorful - Focus on making your plate as colorful as possible. Select all the deep colorful foods first, such as greens, reds, oranges, and purples. The colorful foods tend to be the most nutritious foods and have the most fiber.
- Break the cycle - Using the same old methods that have created a cycle of "pigging out" only to feel guilty and using dieting to compensate at the New Year, is a guarantee that the next year will be the same. Break the cycle by focusing less on weight and more on relaxing, exercising and enjoying the holidays.
Holidays are not the time to starve or go on a rigid diet. It only leads to feelings of deprivation that end in overeating, compulsive eating, and binging. By maintaining a daily aerobic exercise program, any overeating will be minimized and weight gain can be avoided. Any weight gain that might have been gained is likely to be minimal and will be lost quickly due to the higher metabolism that aerobic exercise induces and the rapid satiation from being relaxed with food. Holidays should be thought of with positive anticipation and enjoyed with gusto. Happy holidays.
Lavinia Rodriguez - Lavinia Rodriguez, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist with over 30 years experience helping people with food and eating problems, and eating ...
