This is a great question! I know that it is normally hard during the holiday season, whether it is a work event or a family gathering, but you need to go into the event without putting too much pressure of yourself! Prepare yourself to have a good experience by not feeling like you overdid it at the end of the day. Here are a couple tips to use during the holiday season:
Plan:
For the most part, when you are going to an event or a family dinner, people tell you what they are bringing. If you already know what is there, then decide what you are going to have and how much you will consume prior to the event. That’s right, I’m telling you to food log on the holiday –pull out that iPhone/ Droid and look up the food items first and pick the serving size that you will have and stick to it!
Prepare:
I know everyone thinks they create healthy dishes…But, have you ever created a dish that already has an appropriate serving size? Be creative with your healthy choices! Make the servings between 100-350 calories, but only make each serving enough for 1 per person, so no one overindulges on your tasty treat.
Keep an eye out:
A lot of holiday plates end up being a competition of who can get the highest mountain on their plate without having to go up for seconds. I’m not sure why this is, but it happens! Here’s a tip: Get the divider plates so you have a visual aid to contain your portions. Only go up once — I know that this is hard because all of the food is amazing, and no one wants leftovers, but it is a step in a healthier direction. When picking items, only pick one serving of each item no bigger than a deck of cards or your fist, this will help with the larger items.
Snacks?
I don’t know about anyone else’s family gatherings, but my family normally has all these snack foods placed strategically. They are filled before the dinner, get refilled after dinner and gone by the time everyone leaves. Watch the snacking this year; all those little candies and chips add up and eventually you could eat all your calories just from the snacks that are around you. If you need a tasty treat, go for it, but look it up first and see how many calories in one serving; maybe you will think twice about the handful of M&M’s or chips.
Leave satisfied!
The whole point of this blog isn’t to tell you not to eat the things you enjoy, but more importantly to make healthier decisions so that when you leave your event/ family get-together, you won’t have the walk of shame. The common mistake people make during the holidays is overindulging and thus, wanting to go into a food coma. If you follow these few simple steps during your holiday season, I know that you will feel better about yourself knowing that even on a holiday you are working towars a healthier you.