Why Wait? Start your New Year's Resolutions NOW!
November and December are, without a doubt, the most indulgent time of the year for most of us. There are parties, hostess gifts, open houses, holidays, and the weather is getting colder so we may feel the need for more “comfort food.” Wouldn’t it be nice to arrive at January 1st and not regret the last 2 months of over-indulgence? You can do it and here are a few tricks to survive the holiday onslaught of yummy temptations.
- Make a Plan: Before going into any party situation that you know will involve tempting food, plan ahead. If there are plates for a buffet style of food, plan on taking a small plate, fill it once, and be done. If it is a meal, plan on taking sensible portions of a few dishes and do not go back for a 2nd helping. Position yourself across the room or in a different room from the food. The closer you are standing to it, the more likely you are to keep reaching for things absent-mindedly. If you are in a different room you have to make a conscious decision to go back for more, which may help you to keep from going back multiple times. If there are passed hors d’oeuvres, keep the napkin from each one you take. It’s hard to keep track of how many of these you eat as you’re socializing. Limit yourself to 2-3 and hold onto the napkins as a reminder. You can also make a plan for cocktails ahead of time. If you consciously set limits for yourself, you are more likely to adhere to them when the temptations are right in front of you.
- Cocktail Parties/Open Houses: Eat ahead of time. If it is an evening party, eat a sensible meal before you go. When your hunger is satisfied, you are less likely to reach for the 1st snack you see. You will be more able to make smart choices about any snacks you do decide to have. Many times we do the opposite and avoid eating much of anything all day to help make up for the calorie-laden goodies that we are sure to encounter. This is bad for 2 reasons: 1) When you are that hungry, you tend to eat more and will ultimately consume more calories overall. 2) Any cocktails you may consume will affect you even more on an empty stomach. This may also result in you making even poorer decisions on the hors d’oeuvres and desserts (and maybe your conversations!).
- Holiday Meals: Many holiday meals are pot-luck style meals in which everyone brings a dish to share. Bring a healthy alternative to the traditional dishes so you know you will have something there that you can count on eating that won’t totally ruin your plan of action. You are likely not the only guest who is trying to make healthy choices. Team up! Talk to the other guests or even the host/hostess about aiming for a less-indulgent meal. Even better- if you’re the one doing the hosting, you are in complete control. You can provide healthier (but still delicious) alternatives to the meal that you are sharing with everyone.
- Focus on the Conversation: Instead of focusing on the food, think about which of your friends, family, or colleagues will be there and how wonderful an opportunity this is to actually catch up with them! Play football in the backyard with the kids instead of sitting on the couch all day and watching it!
- Keep Moving: No matter what, you need to keep up with your fitness regime. It’s easy to say you don’t have the time to dedicate with all of the added pressures of the holidays. But you need to continue to make exercise a priority. When you exercise you are more likely to make smart decisions about food so you don’t ruin everything you just worked so hard on. You will also feel better and have more energy to get you through this busy time of year. Don’t forget how important you are, when you’re planning things for everyone else.
There are many ways to stay on track with your health over the holidays. Of course you are going to have some temptations and indulging every now and then is not a problem. But keep it to a minimum, stick to your plan, and enjoy this time of year! Make a New Year’s resolution on something else this year.
