The holidays are a wonderful time of year. Not only are there many fun celebrations to enjoy, it’s also the time friends and family make an effort to get together no matter what kind of circumstances separate them the rest of the year. That said, social gatherings tend to create an abundance of opportunities to overeat, and avoiding an unwelcome weight gain can be a challenge.
Spread Out the Eating
Don’t try to cram in all the food consumption during a short period. Instead, take advantage of the variety of food by enjoying it all in small portions and over broad sections of time. Chew slowly while eating, and put the eating utensil down between every bite. This gives the food a chance to settle into the stomach, decreasing the chances of overeating and consuming unneeded calories.
Don’t Focus on the Food
The food is not the main event in a holiday get-together — the people are. This is a great opportunity to catch up with friends or relatives that are not often around, and the more time spent using the mouth for talking means less time using it for eating. Keep active socially and make a point to engage everyone present rather than focusing on sampling every dish at the gathering.
Eat Beforehand
Don’t show up at a holiday gathering hungry, as that’s a guaranteed way to leave stuffed. Rather than confronting a huge spread of tempting food on an empty stomach, try to consume something healthy in the controlled home environment first. This will help curb the temptation to gorge on all the fattening options at the get-together.
Avoid Alcohol
It’s hard enough to limit calories from food; don’t make the process even more difficult by adding liquid calories to the equation. Not only are alcoholic drinks full of unwanted sugar and sneaky calories, they also limit self-control at the same time, so that delicious dessert that might have otherwise been just a small sample turns into an entrée-sized portion. If not drinking something feels odd in the setting, simply bring around a glass of water everywhere instead.
Bring Snacks
There’s no guarantee that any of the food at a holiday gathering will be healthy, but that doesn’t have to be a problem. Simply prepare a dish or two to bring to the gathering and ensure the ingredients are healthy. Rely on those options when hunger strikes instead of taking a bite of everything else.
New years in village by Jon Sullivan
