Avoid Christmas Weight Gain

Here are some of my favorite suggestions: 

Make every bite special.

Do you want to fill up on all the appetizers and then not have room for dessert?  When you arrive at a party take a look at all the food and decide what it is that you really want to eat.  What are the foods that are special to you.

  Let’s be honest, you can have the basic cheese and boxed crackers any time of year.  But that beautiful brie and soft crusty bread — well, that would be a treat. Decide which foods you love the most, or the special foods you only get during the holidays, and eat those. 

 Because too much self-denial stirs up cravings that only get stronger and lead you to overeat or binge later on.

Be choosy about sweets.

When it comes to dessert, be very selective. Limit your indulgences to small portions and only what is very sensual to you. My personal rule on sweets: “If it’s going to have calories, it has to be chocolate.” Do not  mix cheesecake with ice cream and pecan pie. The combination of milk, nuts and fruit – one of the most difficult for your stomach and digestion.

Stay aware.

It can be too easy to be in deep conversation and not really pay attention to what you’re eating, or your hunger level.   So whether you’re eating a full plate, or just having a cookie, stay aware and take the time to pay attention to how your body feels and stop eating when you’re full.

Arrive hungry.

That’s right, hungry!  Ignore the old diet advice to “eat beforehand so you won’t arrive hungry.”  What’s the point of not arriving hungry?  You want to be hungry so you can enjoy some of your favorite foods.  Just don’t arrive starving.  There’s a difference.  You don’t want to arrive so hungry that you eat everything in sight.  But come with an appetite, the whole point of the holidays is to enjoy the special food. In case you arrive straving, drink some water to fill up before filling your plate.

Just say no.

Just because your mum made her holiday special cake (and it’s not one of your favorites) doesn’t mean you have to eat it.  Don’t let people push food on you if it’s not really what you want.  Remember, eat what’s really special (see #1). You don’t need to please everyone and get too stuffed.

Walk it off.

Make a new holiday tradition: the family walk. Besides burning some extra calories, this will get everyone away from the food for awhile. Get your family off the couch and move. Go out for a walk as a family before or after the meal.  Walking not only benefits you physically but also puts you in a mindset to be more careful about what you eat.

Tea time

Especially during the holidays always carry tea bags with cinnamon and ginger tea or Stomach Ease brand Yogi Tea.  A Scandinavian study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when volunteers were given rice pudding with three grams of cinnamon, they produced less insulin after the meal. Because insulin is the hormone that turns excess sugar into fat, this means less weight gain. As well as lowering blood sugar levels cinnamon may slow down the emptying of the stomach, meaning it can make you feel fuller for longer.

The moral:  The holidays are meant to be special.  So make it just that.  Eat special foods, be with special people and treat yourself special too!