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Health & Fitness

Have You Been Grateful or Greedy?

Tips to help you enjoy the holiday season without placing the emphasis on food.

Learning How to Enjoy the Holiday Season Without Emphasis on Food

On a normal day it is hard enough to stay focused on doing the right thing for your body. With the pressures of outings, travel and socializing it is even harder. Be grateful for the friends and family you can spend time with, and the health you have been given. Do not be greedy during events because food is not the reason for the season; harmony is. Think about the party or social event you are attending. Who will be there is more important than what will be there! However, you do not need another person, article, or blog telling you that. Let me share some out of the box ideas that may help you during those unstructured days. 

1 – Be the first to dessert!

It is contrary to everything you may have heard, but here is the theory behind it. Do not try to resist the dessert you love while everyone around you is torturing you by saying how good it is. Step up and take control! You can take the focus off being one of the only ones not having dessert. Be the first to get a slice of the pie. This eliminates your stress and allows you to let your guard down; thereby, releasing your negative energy towards the food and people around you. This trick will help you avoid binge eating after unsuccessful attempts at resisting. If you eat after withstanding it for a long period of time, you are likely to eat more because you are making up for “lost time” and feeling bad for not being strong enough to not eat the dessert. Taking the role of being the first to get the dessert you want shows you have control over the food and empowers you to take a small slice, eating slower bites while socializing freely with others.

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 2 – Stall on the first bite!

Try to help fix plates for others, be the last in line, or get up to get a drink after you have sat down. This will help eliminate eating too fast, or returning for seconds before others have finished their first plate. Instead, you will be finishing up with everyone else, and will think twice about getting up to get more food. Again, you will have eliminated the stress, and maintained control over the food! 

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3 – Eat what you like first!

It is all mental. Eating what you like first gives you the opportunity to satisfy your cravings with the first bite. No matter what it is…if you wait until the end you will more than likely want more, leading to overeating and feeling bad about your decision. Take time to eat the thing you like first, then let the desire for more melt away with the other foods you eat. Controlling the dining experience is half the battle. Giving your body what it wants is just as important as giving your body what it needs. With your first bite, you will release the chemicals in the brain that make eating a pleasure for you. This eliminates the time and calories you may squander by nibbling & attempting to cover up the REAL problem. 

Hopefully, this gives you some ideas that you have not heard, and more importantly, new plans of action to try during the holiday festivities! Remember, a strong body starts with a stronger mind. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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