HOW TO AVOID OVEREATING
It’s holiday time.
A time for gatherings.
A time for traditions.
A time for feasting. A lot.
But don’t dread this holiday season and all it’s tasty delights. You can still enjoy everything without overdoing it.
Here are our tips for avoiding overeating, tips that you can apply this holiday season and throughout the rest of the year.
1. Know Your Weaknesses
Half the battle is knowing yourself, and that includes knowing what foods are your ultimate weakness.
Let’s say that pie or any sweet baked good is your ultimate downfall; being aware of the fact already puts you ahead.
How? Because you know that if you step up to the pecan pie unaware, you’re likely to eat half of it. But step up with some awareness, and the understanding that you will take only one piece goes a long way.
It sounds overly simple, but having an awareness of what triggers you to overeat can help put a pause in the space and allow you to make better decisions.
2. Slow Down
This brings us to the point that we’ve talked about before: slowing down.
Once you get that piece of pie that you’ve vowed only to have one of, it’s time to enjoy it. We mean genuinely enjoy it, savor it, taste it. Do this by slowing down and chewing your food.
We are all guilty of just shoveling food in as fast as possible because we can’t get enough, then immediately going for more.
When we do that, our brain has yet to catch up with what is going on. Yet when you take time to slow down, chew, and actually taste your food, you are giving your brain time to keep up and realize that you’re full and there’s no need for seconds.
Plus, what we are often after isn’t getting food in our stomachs. Typically, we are driven by flavor. We want the taste of sugar and a buttery crust in pie. By slowing down, you’ll taste the sugar and buttery crust fully, and it’ll not only help you eat less, but you’ll enjoy the experience of eating more.
3. Fill Up On Protein
This is where we tell you to go for the turkey and ham first.
That’s because they are packed with protein, and protein takes the body longer to digest, leaving you feeling fuller for longer.
By making your initial plate of holiday food heavy on protein, you’re much less likely to overdo it later on the desserts or even go back for seconds, for that matter.
4. Drink Your Water
With so many delightful drinks to enjoy during the holiday season, it’s easy to forget about our water intake.
But don’t.
A lot of the holiday drinks we indulge in are high in calories, sugar, and at times, alcohol. None of which does much for you in the way of staying hydrated and feeling satisfied.
Try drinking a glass of water for every non-water drink you have. Not only will this keep you hydrated, but it will also keep your body feeling satisfied and full, reducing your chance of overeating.
Because if you’ve heard it once, you’ve probably heard it a thousand times: often when we think we are hungry, we’re just thirsty.
So, drink your water.
5. Don’t Eat From Containers
What’s better than a holiday feast? Holiday feast leftovers.
No, we aren’t going to tell you not to indulge in some delicious leftovers; we’re just going to suggest that you don’t do it directly from the container when you do.
It’s like when you sit down with an entire bag of chips instead of putting a few in a bowl; you will likely end up eating the whole bag of chips.
Why? Because they’re there.
The same goes for holiday leftovers. Put what you want to eat on a plate and place the container back in the fridge.
That way, you'll be more likely only to eat what’s in front of you instead of devouring the entire contents of a container, thus avoiding overeating.
You’ve Got This
Remember that you’ve got the control in your hands.
We know that it seems that cravings have a power all their own, but they don’t. You do.
So along with these five tips, always keep firmly planted in your mind that you can choose to not have the second piece of pie or the second glass of eggnog.
It might not be the most fun decision at the moment, but you’ll quickly forget about it and later on be happy with the choice you made.
The bottom line, enjoy yourself; just stay aware and check-in with yourself.
You’ve got this.