5 Rules to Remember For Eating and The Holiday Season
Do you know that the average American gains at least 5-7 pounds between Thanksgiving and The New Year? Now that the holidays are imminent it is certainly time to address the “eating during the holidays” subject. Readers of the community have actually asked me to address this and it made total sense to me considering we are approaching the holidays in the next couple of weeks. So let’s go over five rules we all need to remember so that Thanksgiving doesn’t turn into Hanukah, Christmas and New Years!
1. Don’t forget to keep drinking your water.
Drinking your water is so so important. Did you know that most of the time when we think we are hungry it is really because we are dehydrated. We all need to be drinking AT LEAST half of our body weight in ounces per day. For example if you are 150 lbs., you need to be drinking at least 75 ounces of water per day. And if you work out, drink coffee, diet soda or alcohol you need to compensate for that too by drinking even more water! So please my friends, keep drinking that water (preferably with a squeeze of lemon).
2. Be conscious of what you are eating with EVERY SINGLE BITE!
Listen, I know how difficult it is when you are at a party and they have all those super yummy finger foods to control the noshing, but it SO important that you do. So here is a tip: make a reasonablyportioned plate with all you that are going to eat. This way you don’t continually keep sticking bites of food in your mouth. When we eat a little of this and a little of that, we actually pretend in our minds that we really didn’t eat anything because we think an actual sit down meal is when we actually eat. I know you know what I am talking about because I have been a victim to this crazy delusional thinking too! You need to ration your food, think of it as your “meal,” eat it SLOWLY and DO NOT go back for more.
3. Be sure to bring something you can eat to the party.
People LOVE to say “ well it was so hard with all of that yummy food all around me,” well let me tell you, I know all about that too. So what do you do? Bring your own food! Listen, there are never enough veggie platters at parties as far as I am concerned and you should never go to a party empty handed so there you go! And one other thing, NEVER go to a party HUNGRY! Always eat appropriately throughout the day so you will not be famished by the time you get to the party. This way you won’t get out of control because I know when I am hungry, I can be quite ravenous and out of control so that is my advice to you on that.
4. Don’t continue the bad run.
Listen, so what if you have a bad night and eat unhealthily, it’s fine, it’s water under the bridge and you enjoyed yourself. There is nothing wrong with that. But as I have said in my other posts, don’t make one bad day turn into 2 and 3 and 4. The next thing you know we are at the New Year with those unnecessary extra pounds. Happy New Year! Ugh! Who wants that? I know I don’t so just remember to get back on that horse the next day. Every rule is important but this one is really where most people get it wrong. So please, really take my advice on this one.
5. Don’t stress about it!
And that is basically self explanatory. Let’s not get crazy, let’s just enjoy the holidays keeping your health in mind.
I hope this helps you my friends. I am living proof that these rules work. Eating badly and then yoyo dieting to get the holiday weight off is definitely NOT healthy!
Have the most beautiful and blessed holidays. I am grateful for all of you.
Peace and Love,
Eleni