It's That Time of Year: The Dietitian's Top 10 Tips to Prevent Weight Gain this Holiday
It's no surprise that the holidays can be a tricky time of year in the world of health and weight loss. Maybe you, like the majority of Americans, have put on the 1-4 lbs between Thanksgiving and New Year's (1).
Stock up on fruit and veggies. This may come as no surprise, but the suggestion seems revolutionary to at least one person each year, so I want to include it since we're all just as likely to get swept up in the traditions. Keeping some healthy options at hand will set you up for success and give your body- and taste buds- a fresh alternative to the rich foods you will enjoy today.
Have a healthy breakfast. Include plenty of healthy protein and fiber to keep you feeling satisfied and strengthen your resistance against grazing. Think: a piece of fruit or whole grain toast with peanut butter or a scrambled egg, oatmeal with walnuts and blueberries, a green salad with quinoa, lentils or a hardboiled egg (there are no "breakfast rules").
Use a plate. When you continue to graze, it's impossible to see how much food you are consuming until you feel overly full. Also, psychologically, seeing your food or recalling your previous meal may help curb some cravings. If you're typically the one that hangs out near the food table, take your conversation (and your plate) to another part of the room.
Think of healthier ways to prepare the family favorites. They don't have to taste like cardboard to be better choices. For example, a few simple swaps my family has made is to double the broccoli in the broccoli casserole, using fresh sweet potatoes in the sweet potato casserole (instead of the kind canned in syrup) and making steamed green beans as opposed to another casserole. Are these significantly "healthier"? Probably not, but when the average Thanksgiving meal weighs in around 4500 calories, every bite counts.
Sit down to eat. In the same vein of using a plate, when we choose to sit down to eat, we will save a lot of the grazing calories. When you sit down, try to also calm down, take 10 deep breaths to really appreciate today. Give thanks for all the really amazing things happening around you- all the people you love in one room, the memories you're making that keep traditions alive, your health, the ability to afford such a lavish feast, the effort that went into this meal (from the farmers to the factory works to your family members preparing the food)- we have more than enough things to be grateful for today. Think of one thing with each breath.
Prioritize your portions. We all have our favorites that come once a year and it is normal to want to indulge. A suggestion I give clients is to prioritize your favorites. Feeling (painfully) over-full is not pleasant if we are honest, so fill your plate wisely. If you could take or leave the roll, leave it. If the pumpkin pie doesn't make your mouth water, skip it. Make sure what makes it on your plate is only what you enjoy the most (and hopefully a vegetable or two). See my blog on eating for two.
Enjoy it more, eat less. Beneath it all, we eat because it tastes good or because we are hungry. The odds are good that we aren't more hungry than usual just because it's a holiday, but we may be enjoying the food more than normal. Try to breathe in through your nose as you put each bite in your mouth. This will increase the flavor you perceive and also make you more aware. Study each bite as if you were going to write about it in a food review- think of the texture, temperature, taste, appearance and how it makes you feel. If you enjoy each bite more, it makes sense that you could eat less and have the same amount of pleasure without feeling overly full.
Stay present. Make this meal different than normal dinners- slow down and enjoy each moment. Maybe you put your fork down between bites and really listen to how your cousin's job search is going or maybe you take a sip of water between bites and share about your new hobby. Maybe you don't talk at all and just listen and observe; let yourself be amazed at the perfection and joy that’s happening in front of you. Even if you have the same people each year, this exact moment will never happen again. The dishes will wait.
Check in. This is a trick I've been using for a few years now. When I'm eating, about halfway through my meal, I will ask myself how much I'm enjoying what I'm eating. If it's less than a 6 on a scale from 1-10 (10=high), I choose to save it for later when I will enjoy it more. In my experience, eating beyond physical hunger is often fueled by fear. If my underlying belief is that it won't be there later or won't taste as good, I will be willing to ignore the internal "stop" cues. Left overs may not be everyone's favorite (except when it comes to Thanksgiving) but would you rather enjoy it or over eat because "it won't be the same reheated"? It's a fair question that only you can answer and it's worth asking. You know I'm a fan of choice and if you choose to proceed, think of how you can enjoy it more. If you choose to put it away for later, think about how content you are physically and be proud of doing something different for yourself. Maybe you think of different ways to repurpose the food to taste just as good (turkey is not great when it's microwaved so maybe you make it into a soup or a cold sandwich).
Hydration matters. Did you know that your hydration level can also improve your skin's clarity and firmness, keep your energy level stable, and may help you regulate your hunger? With the heat on full blast, the cold winter air, and the extra sodium from canned soups and rich foods, getting plenty of water is extra important and easy to forget. Wine and other alcoholic beverages can add calories and dehydrate you, so use it sparingly and opt for water most of the time! Try to drink a cup of water every hour (adding one 30 minutes before your meal and an hour after) to help flush out the extra sodium and give your body what it needs to keep you healthy this winter. One research article even suggested that writing down their water intake, drinking two cups before a meal, helped participants eat less over time and lose a small amount of weight (about 4 lbs over 12 weeks)(2). Hot tea or black coffee can be great options as well.
1. N Engl J Med. 2000 Mar 23; 342(12): 861–867. A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4336296/
2. Water consumption increases weight loss during a hypocaloric diet intervention in middle-aged and older adults.. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19661958
