It's the holiday season... and holiday fun foods are suddenly everywhere.
It's also the time of year when temptation and fear of missing out mixed with the overwhelm of trying to stick to your eat better goals might cause your inner critic to rear her ugly head with thoughts like "You better eat it ALL of that now and get it out of your system!" or "Let's face it, there's just no way you can eat healthier right now, so you might as well quit and just start over again in January!"
And it often starts innocently enough. You walk into a holiday party, committed to eat just a little of this and a small bit of that. But before you know it, you've gone back to the cookie tray two or three times, downing more cocktails than you planned, and forfeited the veggies.
What the heck happened?!
Frustrated and discouraged, you decide eating better is just too darn hard and decide to give up on your goals until after the holidays.
Here's the problem: for years we've been taught that "eating better" means sacrificing fun. We've been told it's an All or Nothing game. And we've learned how to punish ourselves for not being able to get it all right, all the time.
The reality: eating better doesn't have to mean sacrificing all of your favorite foods and saying no to fun seasonal favorites. In fact, by practicing a healthier food balance where fun and nourishment coexist, you'll actually find it easier to stick to your eat better goals, even during the fun and festive holiday season.
So, to help you make sticking to your eat better goals easier, I've compiled a short list of 7 simple ways you can set yourself up for success.
And whether you do one, two or all seven of these things, you'll already be ahead of the game, scoring small yet powerful healthy habit wins!
Prioritize sleep
You may not think that the amount of sleep you get and overeating are at all connected, when in reality, the amount of sleep you get can make a BIG difference in your ability to make your best in the moment choices. That's because studies show when your body doesn't get enough sleep, food cravings tend to spike, challenging your ability to make "good" food choices.
In fact, even just one night of sleep deprivation can change the levels of your hunger and appetite hormones, leading to increased hunger and food cravings. Lack of sleep also affects the way your brain’s motivation centers respond to the sight (or even the thought) of food.
The good news? Prioritizing sleep allows your body to preform optimally, so rather than fighting food cravings, you'll feel rested, in control and better in tune with your body's actual needs.
What to do: aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Prioritize keeping a regular sleep schedule and implement a sleep routine that signals "sleep is coming" to your brain. For example, shutting off electronics at least 30 minutes before going to bed, engaging in light stretching, a sleep meditation or deep breathing exercises to calm your neurological system.
Don’t show up starving
You may be tempted to skimp on food before you head out to a holiday party, but think again! The idea that you'll be “saving” calories for later is a common pitfall and big fat myth. Studies show that when you skip meals and arrive to events already hungry, you're actually more likely to overeat, thanks to a combination of hunger, eating fast, and seeking quick relief. Plus, when you skip meals, you're more likely to fall into the "but I've been so good all day!" mindset trap, essentially giving yourself a hall pass to throw your eat better goals out the window and go hog wild on all-the-things.
What to do: aim to have a balanced snack of protein and carbs about 30 minutes before you head out to your event, which will reduce ravenous snacking when you arrive. A quick snack of apple slices and nut butter, veggie sticks and hummus, or whole grain crackers and low fat cheese are nutrient packed combinations that will help you feel and function your best, helping you to support your body's energy needs and mental clarity while also keeping your blood sugar stable.
Don't try to "earn" or "burn" food
You might be tempted to try and use exercise to "earn" or "burn" holiday fun, but don't. In the short term, this mindset tends to work against you, leaving you more susceptible to overeats and even binge eats. In the long term, this can lend itself to disordered eating behaviors, such as under-eating and over-exercising, with a sense of guilt and shame around earning or burning your food rather than honoring your hunger and nourishing your body. Both of which are damaging mentally and physically.
What to do: do your best to stick with your regular fitness routine, including exercise(s) that you enjoy and perhaps inviting friends or family to join in when it makes sense, such as a walk around the neighborhood to look at holiday lights or going for a winter hike. Exercise is a tool that can help you feel energized and strong, reduce aches and pains, and enable you to cope with common holiday stressors more healthily.
Look at your options
Most of the time you'll find a mix of healthy and not-so-healthy food options lining the tables at social gatherings. Which creates a great opportunity to practice balancing your plate! When you pair fun foods with more nutrient dense ones, not only will you increase food satisfaction and increase satiety, you'll also feel less overwhelmed and worried about "getting it right."
Plus, research suggests that you’re more likely to eat the greatest number of calories on your first trip to the buffet table, so why not do yourself a favor by creating a more balanced plate right out of the gate?
What to do: load up on fruits and veggies and prioritize protein. The fiber in the fruits and veggies will fill you up and help support healthy blood sugar, and the protein will boost metabolism, support appetite regulation and increase feelings of food satisfaction and satiety, leaving you less likely to overeat later. Pair nourishment with fun, such as veggies with a festive dip, whole grain crackers with some fun cheeses, or fresh fruits with some holiday cookies.
Eat mindfully
It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that you’re beginning to feel full. Yet when you're eating quickly and distracted, you could easily gobble up the equivalent of an entire meal without even realizing it!
Taking a more mindful approach to your snacks and meals will enable you to tune into body's cues, help you be more present with your food and allow you to fully enjoy the experience, taking in the sights, smells and flavors.
What to do: start by selecting small portions of the foods you're most excited about and really focus on enjoying them. Eating slowly, chewing each bite, and taking sips of water or putting your fork down between bites will help you truly appreciate and enjoy your food.
Once you’ve finished what's on your plate, pause. Instead of immediately heading back for more, give yourself 20 minutes to enjoy chatting with friends and soaking up the atmosphere. Then check in with yourself, are you feeling hungry? If the answer is yes, then go ahead and dish up a second reasonable portion. If the answer is no, then keep on mingling!
Mind the liquid calories
It’s not just what you put on your plate, but what you pour into your glass that adds up. Alcohol, festive punches and marshmallow laden mugs can be loaded with added sugar and quickly add up in calories. That’s not to say that you shouldn't enjoy them, just do so mindfully and balance the fun with hydration too.
What to do: look for low in sugar options like using zero calorie seltzers, low sugar mixers and muddled fruit in place of traditional sugary mixers, try non-alcoholic options like festive mocktails, flavored infused water, sparkling water, seltzers and herbal teas.
Avoid mindless grazing
Ever feel like you keep finding yourself at the cookie tray, munching on the chocolate covered pretzels or coming back to the snack mix dish? Try positioning yourself a little further away from the temptation and limit revisits to the snack dishes spread around and focus on the festivities, friends and family instead. This will give you a chance to pause and ask yourself, "Am I hungry?" before making your way back for a second, third or even fourth serving. So much of mindless eating happens because we're not truly present with our food, walking around and grabbing it "just because it's there" or because we're watching others eat it and feel we have to join in. Learning to tune in with your food and your surroundings can help.
What to do: rather than sitting or standing next to the buffet, snack tray, or kitchen island that's filled with food, fill a small plate of a few of your favorites and walk away. Sit down while you eat, eat slowly, and take sips between bites to help give your brain and body time to catch up to what you've eaten before automatically going back for more.
Are you tired of starting over every Monday, hopping from diet to diet, wondering if you'll ever get it "right" so that you can lose the weight and become the best version of you? I’ve got you friend! Come join me inside my FREE women’s-only Facebook community: Eat Better with Coach Mindy. It's for busy women like you who are ready to lose weight, gain energy, get healthy and fit -- without restrictive diets or punishing food rules.
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