Wow…I’ve read several posts, heard some talk and may even had read some minds about last weeks food fest. It consisted of a lot of self loathing, a little “food is the devil” talk, an exasperated “I’m not ever eating again”, and then ended with a discussion on dieting between thanksgiving and Christmas.
Ugh, how depressing?
We are in the thick of what I like to call the “season of eating”. We are partaking in the delicious yummies that we only get during this season, and then,apparently, we must feel guilty for it, or even worse, we assume the guilt before the food and then stuff ourselves silly, cause if you’re going to feel guilty, you should have a reason. Gosh, we can make ourselves insane and miserable.
How do I know this cycle so well, you ask…that was me up to a few years ago. I understand your guilt. I understand your lack of sanity.
But take heart my friends, I will share with you my 3 guidelines during the “season of eating” that have rid me of my guilt and allowed me to keep my sanity, AND allowed me to eat my favorites while not coming out of the season with bad habits and an extra 15lbs.
Erin’s Season of Eating Guidelines
1.)Increase your physical activity
And not as a punishment for what you ate, but as a way to gain a good and realistic habit during the holiday season, and maybe even alleviate some of stress that this time of year undoubtedly brings, try to do it with your exercise.
Aim for at least 25 minutes of exercise every day. More if your schedule allows, but a minimum of 25 minutes will do the trick. It does not need to be a specific type every, like running, it just has to have one criteria…it fits into that day’s schedule. It could be a fitness class, some time at the gym, a walk around the neighborhood, a family bike ride, a YouTube workout, your favorite workout dvd, etc. Just pick one! Whatever fits that day, do it.
2.) Practice portion control
Instead of trying to eliminate certain foods during the holidays, like “I am not going to eat any sugar right now”, this is actually a great time to create a portion control habit. If you can control your portions during the season of the major spreads, imagine how easy it will be during the other 9 months of the year?! Ways to help with portion control:
-select portions that are smaller then your palm, minus your fingers
-choose a smaller plate
-know and reiterate to yourself that you can come back if you’re still hungry
3.)Take breaks before returning for more
A 15-20 minute break is all you need to combat overeating. Set a timer or note the time, and give it 15. If you are still hungry after, go back to guideline #2 and eat up!
Bonus guideline: water
-drink lots of water. Pick a quantity goal, like an ounce of water per pound of body weight, and this time, drink up!
Try them! Tell me how they work for you.
I’m hopeful they’ll work as well for you as they have for me. Seriously…it’s been life changing.
GoodWord Health and Fitness 