Practical Holiday Eating Tips

My most-read post, to date, was the one on weight loss and maintenance.  Seems that's quite a popular topic!  And maybe never more so than during the holiday season when we are presented with holiday goodies at every turn.  How in the world do you maintain any kind of sensible eating plan, much less a full-fledged diet, when you have 5 holiday parties, 2 church fellowships, office workers bringing cookies from their parties, and the pressure to be a regular Martha-Stewart-type-baker in your own kitchen?  Most of us don't -  maintain any kind of eating plan, that is.  We either chunk the diet out the window during the holidays, or we restrict ourselves to only eating carrots dipped in ranch dressing at each and every holiday party.   Right now, I'm in the midst of a year-long (with no cheating....well, except that one time on my birthday) eating plan that rules out the vast majority of holiday goodies.  I knew this gauntlet of holiday festivities would come and decided to go right ahead with my commitment anyway. There will be no holiday baked goods for me this year. However, that may not be practical for everyone, obviously. So, I wanted to write down a few tips that might help you navigate the cheese balls, chocolate peanut-butter fudge dipped Oreos, and 3 kinds of cornbread dressing you'll face in the coming 6 weeks!

1.  Holidays are not about the food.  Maybe I should rephrase that - holiday are not only about the food!  While we may have traditional favorites we cook ourselves, or holiday treats baked for us by others - this is not the crux of the holiday season. Food is just food.  Sometimes, it's not so much the food, as the chance to spend time around a table with the people you love most in the world.  It's not just another chance to bake 3 different kinds of pies, but the opportunity to share that pie with people you care about.  It is possible to enjoy the holidays and all the togetherness and joy that comes with them, without overindulging in all the food.  It is possible to sit at a table with your family and be a part of a wonderful holiday feast without your plate so full that it's dripping gravy off all sides.  Try to look past the food to the other parts of the holiday - family, friends, special occasions, thankfulness for all the many blessings we have.  Yes, the food is wonderful and special - but it's not the only thing that's important or meaningful during this time of year. 

2.  There's always next year.  If you are in the midst of a real effort to lose weight, or honestly feel that the holidays may derail your entire eating plan; then maybe it's time to say, there's always next year.  Honestly, every year it's the same old food trotted out over and over again!  Our traditional family meal has remained the same for the past umpteen years, and as much as I love it (hello, Mom!), we will have the same dishes next year and the year after that.  People bring the same things to the same parties each year.  You don't have to blow your diet on something that you can most assuredly have next year when you've reached your goal. It's OK to pass it by once, knowing that it'll come around again.

3.  It it's not great, don't eat it.  If that pumpkin pie is not the very best, then don't eat it.  Don't slop whipped cream on top to make it more edible.  If you're going to eat the holiday food, make it count!  Choose the richest dessert and eat half....instead of trying each of the other 10 desserts on the table.  There's no sense in indulging in something that's not worth indulging in!  If the turkey dressing is dry, why continue to shovel it in?  Pass it up and then make some yourself at home that's really good....if you're still wanting it the next day.  I think we get guilted into eating to pacify other people, when often the food is just not good or we don't want to offend.  If you're worried about offending, take a tiny bit of everything, eat your tiny bit and be done. You can say you had some, but not worry about trying to finish off an entire helping.  There's nothing wrong with being picky about your indulgences.

4.  Just eat it, already.  If you live for the holiday season because it's the only time you get this dish or that dessert and you just can't pass it by - then eat it!  Eat as much as you want.  But then, on Friday morning (or the day after that big party) get up and start right back with your former plan.  Don't eat leftovers for days.  You had your fun, ate your fill - now it's time to move on.  Don't turn that one day of indulgence into a weekend, or a week, or before you know it the holiday season will be done and you will have indulged 10 times and gained 10 pounds.  Choose the occasion for indulgence, go for it, and then start right back up.

5.  Keep maintenance as a goal. Anyone who tries to actively lose weight during the holiday season is just crazy. It can be done, but seriously what fun would that be?  A good goal to keep in mind is to just maintain your current weight until after New Years and then actively start again with trying to lose weight.  There's nothing wrong with trying to maintain your weight...especially when the vast majority of people will gain 5-10 pounds over a 6 week period of time.  Remember that weight loss and maintenance is a very long journey.

6.  Don't let your diet be a downer.  Be careful not to constantly belittle yourself for failures, but also not to have an "Eeyore" attitude about the fact that you're trying to lose weight while everyone else is shoveling in the food like there's no tomorrow.  You made a choice to try to lose weight and be healthy. That doesn't mean you have to limit your food choices to such an extent that you feel constantly imprisoned by that choice.  Define your limits before the season starts, and then do your best to follow those limits; however, realizing all the while that your weight loss/maintenace is a life long pursuit...not something that will be completely derailed if you eat 2 slices of pie instead of just a bite!  Also, don't let your diet be a downer to others.  It's no fun for you to go to a party or family dinner and regale everyone with the restrictions of your eating plan and how you know this or that is bad for you or them.  Be quiet and eat what you can without drawing attention to yourself or your eating plan.  If you're still hungry later, fill up at home. But you'll make a hostess feel bad for their "unhealthy" cooking or you'll make friends/family feel guilty for their own choices and/or pity you for your restricted choices.  There's more to the holidays than eating. Enjoy them and don't broadcast the fact that you're watching what you eat!

These are just some very practical tips that might help.  Let me know if you have any questions or further observations about what has worked for you. I'm always open to new ideas for my own eating endeavors!  Happy Thanksgiving and I'll "talk" to you next week.