How to Avoid Overindulging During The Holidays

Do’s

Eat until you are 80% full and then stop. As you eat, hormones are released from your GI tract that tell your brain when you are full. The time it takes for the hormones to be released from the gut and then registered by your brain creates a delay. Meaning, by the time your brain tells you “you are full”, you have eaten too much.

I recently learned about a Japanese community that resides in a blue zone that starts every meal with a phase that essentially translates to “80%”. This simple phrase, repeated before they start eating, reminds the individual before every meal to only eat to 80% fullness and then stop.

Eating slow will also reduce the gut to brain delay so you don’t fly by that 80% fullness. It may sound ridiculous but chewing every bite 20-30 times and setting your silverware down between each bite will help slow down eating.

How to manage alcohol throughout the holidays: This can be really challenging with the endless holiday parties, family gatherings and going out to dinner. 1. Avoid the drinks that you may have at home after a typical work day. Save the boozy beverages for special nights out. 2. Have 1 signature cocktail and then move on to something with less added sugar. Signature cocktails are meant to be favorable for many so they tend to be sugary. Enjoy one if it sounds good and then opt for a tequila and soda with lime or red wine for the rest of the night. 3. Pace yourself. Gatherings with old friends or dancing under the disco lights encourages more drinks than normal. Not a problem, but keep in mind your other obligations and busier than normal schedule for the rest of the month. This may look like limiting your intake at each party or picking some parties to abstaining from alcohol completely. 

• Prepare your own plate. Do not let your Tia who thinks you’re too skinny prepare your plate. This way you control the portions and the selection of food.
• Volunteer to prepare a side dish. Use this opportunity to prepare a healthy, veggie packed side dish to enjoy. Even if you are the only one that eats it, who cares.
• Avoid over loading your own plate. Remember that there are most likely a large selection of foods to pick from. Either avoid some all together or take a very small amount of each. You can always go back for more if you haven’t reached 80% full.

• Know your weaknesses: If there is a particular dish/dessert that you just love, then allow yourself to indulge in it knowing that you may miss out on bigger portion of other dishes. Limit appetizers to a couple of bites so you can enjoy the meal (and/or dessert) later.

Prioritize restful sleep. The more rested you are, the better your decision making skills are! The more rested you are the better you are at dealing with the stress that the holiday season brings.

Don’ts

Don’t punish yourself. The negative self talk that can occur after a big night out or a large meal may seem helpful for you to avoid future bad decisions but actually the opposite occurs. If you wouldn’t say those things to your favorite grandma, then you most definitely shouldn’t say them to yourself. Self hate and loathing leads to more of these feelings that creep into other aspects of our life. Instead try reminding yourself that “you ARE a healthy person” and not that “you want to be healthy”. What you manifest is what you WILL create. 

Don’t say “f*** it, I will try again tomorrow”. There is never a better time than now. Okay, so you may have drank or ate too much and guess what? That is okay. Don’t dwell on the past and definitely don’t let it determine how you treat your next meal or experience.

Don’t show up starving. Showing up to an event starving because you know that there will be endless food and dessert will lead to overeating and possibly eating more during that one meal than you would if your meals were split up among the day. Eat a light, protein-rich late breakfast or lunch to hold you over until dinner. Add a small snack an hour or two before if necessary.

As the holiday season unfolds, navigating through a flurry of gatherings, festivities, and temptations can be a daunting task. This period, laden with cheer, also brings forth stressors. However, the holiday season does eventually come to an end. In the meantime, enjoy it and connect with your chosen family and loved ones and do the best you can. No one is perfect, nor should they be. And at the end of the day, moderation, self-compassion, and mindfulness are the guiding principles toward a healthier, happier holiday season.