Ways to Approach the Upcoming Holidays Without Overindulging

Angela Munro, R.N., B.S.N., C.B.N.

While the holidays are a filled with great opportunities to gather with friends and family members, many of those holiday gatherings are also filled with food and the temptation to overeat. Despite these real temptations, there are a variety of ways to prepare for the upcoming holidays to prevent overindulging.

“The most important step is to be aware of how much you are eating and why you’re eating,” said Angela Munro, R.N., B.S.N., C.B.N., supervisor, MyMichigan Surgical Weight Management Program. “Often times we eat out of boredom or depression rather than being hungry. Allow yourself some special treats during the holidays. If holiday cookies and other treats are a real temptation to you, allow yourself one a day to avoid deprivation and subsequently overeating.”

Another important way to prevent overindulging is to learn how to manage stress and emotions. When people are sad or depressed, they tend to turn to food for comfort instead of people. A simple way to manage stress, is to lower expectations about the holidays and focus on having fun rather than having the best decorated home in the neighborhood or making 20 dozen cookies.

“A key to managing your food is controlling what you eat,” said Munro. “Choose healthier options when filling up your plate. Bring a healthy dish to pass, such a salad or fresh fruit and make sure not to stuff yourself. Eat the foods that are truly special to you this time of year, not the foods you can have anytime. If you feel content with the first plate of food, don’t go back for seconds.”

After cleaning up the kitchen, move to a room without food. Instead of eating that extra piece of pie, encourage friends and family to go outside to sled, skate or just take a walk around the block. If the weather outside is frightful, bring out the board games.

“If you do slip up and overeat, don't give up on the rest of the season,” added Munro. “Think about why it happened and know you can make a different choice the next time you're hungry. If you don't exercise for a week, tell yourself you’ll exercise next week and then actually follow through with it. If you do eat one too many pieces of pie, pass on that next holiday cookie and grab a lower calorie option instead.”

The key to success it to focus on the social part of holiday celebrations. Really talk with people and try to learn new things about them at parties and family events rather than focusing on the food. Keep reminding yourself the event is about socializing, not eating.

Other helpful suggestions include:

• Eat a little before you go, so that you’re not overly hungry. 
• Be careful with cocktails. Depending on what you drink, alcoholic beverages can be heavy in empty calories and may lead to lowered inhibitions, which can result in overeating.
• If you’re the host, give leftovers to the guests as they leave. Be sure to be prepared with plenty of containers.
• Pass on everyday snack foods like nuts, chips and pretzels. Save your calories for more memorable foods.
• Wear a form-fitting outfit or belt that will let you know if you have had too much.
• Keep your back to the buffet table. When it’s out of sight, it’s also out of mind.

Remember that holiday memories are made by spending time with family and friends, not by eating food. Those who would like to explore weight loss or are interested in taking a free weight loss assessment may visit www.mymichigan.org/weightloss.