Tips for Avoiding Overeating During the Holidays

Here come the holidays and with them comes food, food and more food. If you believe the old saying, “through the lips and onto the hips”, you’re probably already stressing out over how you’re going to control the temptation of the constant barrage of goodies that comes along with the holiday season. One of the first things to remember is that depriving ourselves of every little treat or holiday food that we like is very hard to do. Instead, we should work on just maintaining our current weight. Here are some tips to help us stay on track. Drink a glass of water before you eat. Water takes up space and is calorie-free. You’ll feel less hungry and have less temptation to overeat. Eat slowly and wait 20 minutes before you go back for seconds or dessert. From the time you are full, it takes about 20 minutes for your digestive system to get this message to your brain. By waiting 20 minutes, you might find you don’t want seconds or dessert after all. During the traditional holiday meal, think of eating just the things you might only get to eat during the holidays. You can eat the mashed potatoes any old time. Eat a small bite (preferably protein) before you arrive at a holiday party. If you don’t arrive hungry, you’ll have a better chance passing up on the high fat/high carb snacks. Skip the dips and dressings, especially the creamy ones, or use a lower calorie one. If it’s your party or dinner, you have control over that. Stick to your exercise ...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - Category: Pediatricians Authors: Tags: Perspectives Eating & Nutrition Mental Health Parenting Source Type: blogs