It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving was yesterday and Christmas is around the corner. “Holiday Season” is upon us which usually means overeating and weight gain. Between November and January, the average weight gain is about 2lbs and unfortunately, most people never lose it. This can add up overtime, contributing to health issues such as elevated BMI and obesity which can lead to concerns like diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
No one wants to be The Grinch during the holidays and the good news is, you don’t have to be. There are ways that you can enjoy holiday eating while simultaneously keeping things under control.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is always a helpful tool. When we fail to plan, we plan to fail. If you know you are going to a place or an event where you have little or no control over the menu, you definitely want to strategize. Drink plenty of water during the day. If you have dinner plans, you might want to have a smaller breakfast and a salad for lunch. Eating an apple or piece of fruit before you leave for the event can also help, possibly preventing you from overeating. Make the decision beforehand if you will indulge in a cocktail or dessert. Decide that you will only eat foods that you really enjoy. Your plan can be as detailed or are casual as you like but having some sort of plan will help you make better choices.
Use a Smaller Plate
Using a smaller plate may sound silly, but it is an effective psychological tool. When people use smaller plates and bowls they generally eat less. Why? Because, though we try, it’s not always our bodies and our hunger that determine how much we eat. From the time we were children we were trained to “clean our plates” and this mantra plays in our heads as adults. When we use smaller dinnerware, the portions are smaller, so even if we do clean our plate, we are eating less and consuming fewer calories. The next time you have a meal, consider grabbing the salad plate instead of the dinner plate.
Watch Portion Sizes
There are several ways that you can help control portion sizes. Controlling your portion size is likely the most important thing that you can do to maintain or lose weight.
- Use smaller plates and bowls.
- Skip seconds.
- Use your hand to measure your food.
- Use a scale to weigh your food to get a feel for proper portion sizes.
- When eating at a restaurant, ask for a box when your food is delivered. Put half of your food in the box and take it home.
According to Silver Star Diabetes, the following is a list of how normal portion sizes should look.
HOW NORMAL PORTION SIZES LOOK
• 1 oz. meat: size of a matchbox
• 3 oz. meat: size of a deck of cards or bar of soap — the recommended portion for a meal
• 8 oz. meat: size of a thin paperback book
• 3 oz. fish: size of a cheque book
• 1 oz. cheese: size of 4 dice
• Medium potato: size of a computer mouse
• 2 tbs. peanut butter: a ping pong ball
• ½ cup pasta: size of a tennis ball
• Average bagel: size of a hockey puck
Chill Out
Stress can cause a multitude of health related issues, including, weight gain. When is the last time that you felt stressed and reached for a banana? Likely never, because when we are stressed, we crave comfort foods. Comfort foods are high in calories and low in nutritional value. According to WebMD, “More stress = more cortisol = higher appetite for junk food = more belly fat,” says Shawn M. Talbott, PhD, a nutritional biochemist.
If you can reduce your stress, you can better manage your weight. To help reduce stress, try taking a walk, praying, taking a relaxing bath or using Adaptiv essential oil or capsules. The important thing is to take time for YOU.
Get Enough Sleep
According to the APA, adults who sleep fewer than eight hours a night report higher stress levels than those who sleep at least eight hours a night. On average, adults with lower reported stress levels report sleeping more hours a night than do adults with higher reported stress levels (7.1 vs. 6.2 hours).
8 hours of sleep seems to be the magic number for better mood, better health and less stress. Studies have shown that people who nap for an hour during the day and sleep for 7 hours at night still experience reduced feelings of stress.
Your goal should be to get 8 hours of sleep each 24 hour period. This can be accomplished by getting all hours at night or breaking it up into a nap and overnight sleep.
Eat Mindfully
Eating mindfully is not something that comes naturally to all people. When we are bored, stressed out, watching TV or inundated with fast food advertisements, it’s easy to fall into the trap of over eating comfort foods. According to Nutrition Diva, Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS, there’s an important difference between mindless or distracted eating and making a conscious choice to enjoy another activity—such as reading or conversation—while you are eating. Mindless or distracted eating can occur any time that the brain is distracted and the person is not aware of what or how much food he or she is consuming. Have you ever taken a bag of chips to the couch to watch a show and the next thing you know, the bag is nearly empty? That is mindless eating. You were blissfully unaware of how much you consumed because you were involved in the TV show that you were watching.
To practice mindful eating, you need to be aware of what you are doing and how much you are eating. There is nothing wrong with enjoying some chips while watching the latest episode of This is Us, but measure out a portion size, don’t eat directly out of the bag. Other ways to practice mindful eating are to listen to cues from your body. If your body is not telling you that you are hungry, then do not eat food. If hunger isn’t the problem then food is not the answer. When you do eat, slow down. Enjoy the flavors and texture. Chew your food well. According to Healthline, you should chew your food an estimated 32 times before swallowing. It takes fewer chews to break down soft and water-filled food. The goal of chewing is to break down your food so it loses texture. Chewing 32 times appears to be an average number applied to most bites of food.
It boils down to paying attention to what you are eating and how much.
Be Picky
Do not eat what you do not enjoy. This may sound simple but many of us tend to indulge in things we otherwise would not when we visit a friends house for supper or attend the neighborhood holiday party. Our reasoning may be admirable, but the results can be detrimental over time. Do not eat something “just to be nice”. Don’t be afraid of offending the host; your health is much more important.
If you are served a meal that you do not particularly care for, eat a very small portion. If you are hungry when you get home, have an apple. If you attend an event with a buffet or a potluck, only put items that you like on your plate. And remember to watch the portion size.
Get Moving
According to the CDC, the exercise required for healthy weight depends on your goals.
To maintain your weight: Work your way up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent mix of the two each week. Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity can help you maintain your weight over time. However, the exact amount of physical activity needed to do this is not clear since it varies greatly from person to person. It’s possible that you may need to do more than the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to maintain your weight.
To lose weight and keep it off: You will need a high amount of physical activity unless you also adjust your diet and reduce the amount of calories you’re eating and drinking. Getting to and staying at a healthy weight requires both regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan.
The US Department of Health and Human Services included this activity chart in their Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. The examples are based on a 154lb person. Those who weigh more will burn more calories and those who weigh less will burn fewer calories.
If you are not used to physical activity do not overdo it. The point is to be active in some capacity. I will never forget my first day of Weight Watchers back in 2004. A lady reached Lifetime after losing 100lbs. She got up to share her story and she didn’t join a gym or go running every day. She lost the weight by eating healthy and gardening. Yes, you read that right. Her physical activity was gardening and walking to her mailbox to get the mail. You don’t have to dedicate hours each day or pay $50 a month to go to the gym. You just need to move.
Enjoy the holiday season surrounded by loved-ones. Try to focus more on the people than the food. Incorporate these tips and you will make it through the holiday season with your waistline in tact.
