Smart holiday eating

10/24/08 Posted in Cover Story  |  0 Comments

At last the holidays are among us and it’s time to eat, drink and be merry along with the rest of our friends and family. But wait? What does feasting during holiday get-togethers mean for the ability to fit in that favorite pair of jeans?

Odds are those who are watching their waistline will be able to make it through Thanksgiving Day without bursting a button but it’s making it through the following four weeks that’s the hard part. Weight gain isn’t likely to happen on Thanksgiving Day, but over eating on that day can leads to a spiraling effect of uncontrolled eating from then until New Years.

Following the tips below will help to stay away from the, “Who cares, it’s the holidays,” mentality when it’s time to head through the buffet line.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

Fasting the full day until it’s time to build your plate can only lead to one thing, overeating. Not only does an ample morning meal provide energy for the day’s labors, but it can also prevent all day snacking and then indulging in a huge plate of food.

If you have breakfast and still aren’t eating until later in the day, make sure that you get at least a healthy snack in, such as fruit or veggies and dip, before the big meal so you’re not left famished and more likely to overeat.

Have a Plan

Have in mind what you want to eat during the meal so that you don’t see the buffet line and load everything onto your plate. Have in mind some things that you definitely want to have and let the other items fall to the wayside.

Also, plan for the week of Thanksgiving Day by lightening up your calorie intake a couple of days before and after the holiday. This will even out your total weekly calorie intake.

Use a Smaller Plate

We’ve all heard this tip, but it still stands. By using a smaller plate you’re automatically getting a smaller portion of each dish, which in turn means less calorie intake.

You could, of course, pile everything upwards into miniature mountains but that would undoubtedly get you at least a few stares and defeat the whole purpose of the smaller plate.

Don’t Deprive Yourself

Allow yourself to taste everything. If there is something that is really high in calories, such as your grandmother’s famous apple pie, don’t say no to it all together, just don’t allow yourself a whole piece. Instead offer to share it with someone else or just simply cut a smaller piece.

Often times, cutting out entire dishes can give the mentality of “I didn’t eat any pie so I can have as much stuffing as I want.”

This throws the concept of smaller portions out the window. So go ahead and at least try everything you want, it will keep you from feeling deprived later.

Eat Slowly

Take it slow while you’re eating and you’ll be able to better detect when you’re full. Not only will you enjoy the food on your plate better but you’ll thank yourself later when you’re not bloated.
Try sipping a calorie-free drink in between bites so that you’re not rushing through the meal. Or take time in between bites to catch up with distant relatives. Use the time to enjoy conversation instead of over indulging.

Stay Away From Seconds

Before you head back for a second helping take the time to question whether you’re doing it out of hunger or habit. More than likely, if you’re being honest, the decision will be that you’re full.
Remember that you can always make a turkey sandwich the next day to help curb your craving

Keep Moving

Just because it’s a holiday doesn’t mean that you should set aside your daily workout routine. If you normally run three miles in the morning nothing should stop you from doing this on Thanksgiving Day once the turkey’s in the oven.

Also resist the urge to sprawl out on the couch after the meal is over, instead help do the dishes or take a family walk. Try and get the family involved by playing a game of touch football in the yard before or after dinner. Keeping busy will aid in the digestion process and allow for calorie burning.

Drink Water

Avoid alcoholic drinks, sodas and concentrated juices. These drinks are packed with calories and, unlike water, can cause bloating. Water will quench your thirst without the bloated feeling, will cleanse your palate in between bites to help with total food enjoyment and it will also help aid digestion.

Remove Temptation

When cleaning up the table and packing away the food, place the leftovers into containers. As guests start to leave, divvy up the leftovers among them. Most people will be happy to take them off your hands.

This will eliminate the urge to have a second full meal later in the evening, not to mention the urge to eat the same things for days to come. Removing the temptation of Thanksgiving leftovers will allow you to promptly get back to your regular eating habits, not allowing the feast to sneak back up on you in the days to come.

written by Sherri Powers