How Not to Gain 10 Pounds This Holiday Season
For most people, the holiday season means two things: food and stress. When combined, these two inevitably lead to one feeding the other, literally. And for many of us that means gaining an average of 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's.
But you don't have to become a hermit, or stay away from all those wonderful treats just because you don't want to gain weight. Bringing some awareness to how you eat and, more importantly, what triggers you to eat more than you would ordinarily, can help keep those pounds off during the holidays.
If you're determined not to gain those 10 pounds this holiday season, try these strategies when you're tempted:
1. Celebrate: They call them holidays for a reason. Though derived from the Middle English for "holy days," our holidays are designed to help us disconnect from the rushing busyness of our daily lives so we can reflect, give thanks and reconnect with friends and family. So if you're tempted to eat something you don't normally eat, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Try putting a spoonful on your plate and walking away from the buffet, or take two small hors d'oeuvres from passed trays and enjoying the heck out of them – that's celebrating.
2. Relate: Though many of us try to avoid certain family members until it's absolutely necessary to have contact, we can mitigate this by relating to the members of our families we find enjoyable. Bring someone funny into a flagging conversation with Aunt Beatrice. Get Grandpa Joe to tell you the hilarious story about trying out for his high school baseball team again, even if you've heard it a thousand times. The more relating you can do, the fewer times you're likely to revisit the food table, and the less lonely you'll feel.
3. Give Thanks: We all know that the Thanksgiving holiday was really designed to help us give thanks for a bountiful harvest – in other words, our food. Though many of us tend to stuff ourselves to the bursting point and turn on a football game, you can bring that original intention back to the holiday by silently giving thanks for the food you eat over the holidays. Bringing your awareness to the fact that the food exists, that you are lucky enough to eat it, and that hundreds or even thousands of people worked together to bring this food to you – by growing it, tending it, watering it, picking it, shipping it and even carrying it in the grocery store -- can facilitate the real kind of gratitude, which tends to stick around a lot longer than a heap of mashed potatoes and gravy.
4. Meditate: Meditation is an ancient focusing tool that not only helps relax you, if you're finding the holidays overly stressful, but focuses you, so you can bring mindfulness into the season. For example, many find that even a brief period of meditation before a shopping expedition helps to stay focused on the gifts you really need to buy, and even stick to a budget, so you don't spend too much. In addition, bringing a meditation practice to your daily life can help you gain an extra inch or two of perspective, so you're much less tempted to overeat at the next holiday party. Use that perspective to help you choose the best foods available too, so you're not stressed out about what you can and can't eat.
5. Be Compassionate: For many of us, the holidays are about giving without receiving. That doesn't mean we don't get presents, it just means that the stress we endure, in buying gifts, baking and cooking, and serving everything on time, sometimes doesn't equal out. But maybe the holidays aren't supposed to be a balance sheet. The best way to handle even the stress caused by anticipating the holidays by developing a sense of compassion, for yourself as well as the friends and family you will inevitably see. You are imperfect, and that's fine. They are imperfect, and that's probably why you love them anyway. Even if they can't remember that you've never liked sweet potatoes, and never will. Being compassionate also means that if you decide to have a piece of cake at a party, you promise not to beat yourself up the next day. Take a walk, maybe. Do some crunches, possibly. But self-directed aggression is just counter-productive.
6. Emancipate: If all else fails and you're feeling antsy, by all means emancipate yourself. In many instances, we overeat when we're stressed – we all know that. But we also tend to overeat when we're bored, lonely, anxious or angry. So it's best to have a Plan B, in case you find yourself feeling any of these emotions. Have somewhere else to go, if you can. But if you can't leave the party for some reason, find a way to take a walk outside for a bit, or even help in the kitchen. Changing your scenery, even for a brief period of time, can help you gain new perspective, meet some new people, and avoid the craving to eat too much.
It's possible to have a good time during the holidays, without sacrificing on all the delicious foods, or beating yourself up in the morning. The important thing to remember is that you're in charge of your life, not your friends and relatives, not your mate or some impossible-to-achieve image in a magazine. Your body is yours alone, and that makes it worth respecting even more. Happy Holidays!