The holiday season for many is time spent with family, friends, and tons of food. From large, spectacular meals to holidays treats around the house, food is present. This can present some difficulties when trying to eat healthy and not fill up on holiday sweets. Dieting itself can be very difficult, and even harder to stay consistent. Dieting during the holidays does not need to be a daunting task. With some simple tips you can still enjoy your holiday guilty pleasures while not bringing on the excess weight. The American Heart Association provides readers with two main tips: avoid mindless eating and practice awareness.
Mindless eating is when people consume food simply because it is available and not because they are hungry. This is commonly seen when people are distracted, whether by TV, talking or while doing work. When we do not pay attention to what we are eating, or how much of it we are eating it becomes an endless, dangerous habit. It can become easy for people to over consume calories and leads to obesity.
Riska Platt, M.S., a registered dietitian and certified nutritionist tells readers, “Mindless eating has always been an issue. . .The key to mindful eating is awareness. Just paying more attention to what you eat, you’re more likely to make beneficial changes.”
As stated before, awareness refers to knowing what and how much of something you are consuming. Awareness is practiced in many different ways that can lead to more mindful eating.
Plan. Food preparations can be helpful, especially when it comes to snacking. If you usually get hungry between meals, having healthy snacks already made makes things easier. High-fiber snacks are a great choice because fiber makes you feel full longer.
Control portions. During the holidays, food is everywhere. This makes people feel that they have endless access to food, so people often over eat. It is easy to go back for seconds, thirds, and even fourths. Eating smaller portions less frequently is a key practice in order to make it through the holiday season.
Eat when you are hungry. As stated before, do not eat simply because you are bored or because it is available. Eat when you are hungry. Even if it is lunchtime and you do not feel hungry, do not eat. You are forced to consume something at a specific time. If you are full from your first plate, you do not need to go back for seconds. Also, do not wait until you are famished to eat. This will cause you to overeat.
Keep track. Keeping track of what you eat is helpful because you can visualize those items. It is also helpful in case you forget somethings you have consumed earlier. Being able to see the foods you ate, makes adjusting eating habits easier. You will be able to incorporate healthy changes. Platt states, “Keeping a food diary is really key to awareness. Most people are surprised at all they’ve consumed when they review what they’ve eaten.” You can also rely on technology to help keep track. There are many apps to help recognize and adjust you are eating habits where it is needed.
Eating healthy is not as bad as you think! Give these tips a try this holiday season.
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