By Ramon P. Llamas, MPH, CHES, Men’s Health Network
They’re finally here, the holidays, and we all know what that means: first there was Thanksgiving, now Christmas and then New Year’s.
Fun with the family, office parties or stores offering candy and other seasonal favorites — who can resist? Emotions are elevated, hopes are high and the temptation of tasty treats adds yet another dimension to the season: concern over holiday weight gain. While eating lots of good food is both expected and encouraged during these special times, excessive indulgence can create problems later.
The holidays don’t have to be synonymous with weight gain, especially if you approach them with a sound game plan that addresses three factors to gaining weight: nutrition, fitness and stress management. Here is a holiday eating game plan that you can follow before you find yourself making yet again another New Year’s resolution to lose unwanted pounds.
Pre-game tips
Don’t skip meals – especially breakfast — in anticipation of eating larger holiday meals later on. Research shows people who eat a healthy breakfast tend to consume fewer calories during the day.
Have a pre-meal. Don’t go to a holiday gathering on an empty stomach. Snack on fruits or vegetables before heading out the door. This will give you a slight feeling of being full, which will help prevent overeating later.
Plan ahead. Have a plan for self-control, especially when it comes to your most tempting treats. Think ahead about the sights, sounds, aromas and feelings that trigger your personal patterns of overeating, and then make plans to combat these beforehand so they don’t become overwhelming. Practicing awareness and mindful eating helps reduce the potential for excessive indulgence.
Manage stress. Spark People highlights a few effective ways to manage stress in various settings. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=479
Go for healthier alternatives. If you’re preparing or helping to prepare holiday meals, consider using the Smartphone apps, Healthy in a Hurry or Substitutions, to tap into health-conscious alternatives. http://mashable.com/2013/12/01/healthy-diet-apps
Once you are in the game
Drink lots of water. Sipping on a glass of cold water or ice throughout the event helps keep you feeling full and staves off the dehydration that comes from eating too many high-sugar, high-salt goodies. In fact, dehydration can actually mimic hunger, tempting you to eat more when you should really be drinking more water.
Practice portion control. It’s nice to dig in to your favorite holiday treats. However, the extra effort required later to work off the calories — or worse, the gaining of unwanted body fat from eating too much — should be reminders for portion control. So, eat what you want, just keep your portions reasonable, chew food slowly and keep return trips to a minimum. The Smartphone app, MyFitnessPal, is a useful tool to keep and stay on track. http://www.myfitnesspal.com
Size matters! The bigger the plate you are eating from, the more food you are likely to eat. Use smaller plates at the buffet line as they can help with portion control. There is something about seeing an empty plate that helps us feel satisfied whether the container is large or small. That’s why using smaller plates is so effective.
Eat food because you’re hungry, not because it’s there. Make a deliberate decision to control so-called recreational eating. Eat with your appetite, not with your eyes. Examine what’s available, and then decide what you really want.
Eat slowly. The stomach needs about 20 minutes to tell the brain that it’s feeling full. But when food is gulped down, by the time the stomach sends its fullness signal to the brain, you’ve probably already eaten too much food and too many calories. Fill up your plate, eat slowly and then put the brakes on for a while so that your stomach can send its fullness signal to your brain. For a little more help, try using the Smartphone app, Eat Slower, to set a pace that encourages mindful eating practices. http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/30/health/healthy-eating-apps
Veg out on veggies. Filling up on healthy, low-calorie, high-fiber vegetables instead of high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt and high-caffeine treats will make you feel full without the drawbacks of dehydration, nervousness, weight gain and overeating.
Share the holiday spirit – and your food. Save calories by splitting treats with another person.
Enjoy yourself. They don’t call it “the most wonderful time of the year” for nothing! But rather than focusing on food, allow yourself to enjoy the personal relationships, meaning of the season, personal reflections, renewed spiritual dedication, holiday games, fun and memories you’re blessed to have.
Additionally, remember that healthy eating is only half the battle. You also need to stay physically active. Try these easy steps to burn more holiday calories:
Maintain or slightly increase your regular exercise program. This will help decrease your appetite, keep your metabolism high and give you a little caloric leeway for those sweet treats.
When shopping for holiday gifts, park furthest away from the shopping entrance.
Always take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Take a walk after a heavy meal. As tempting as laying on the couch afterward may be, taking a short walk instead will actually help your body digest your food.
Remember the key to winning is a good defense. Following this game plan for healthy eating will help you maintain good physical and mental health while celebrating with friends and family. Happy holidays!
About Men’s Health Network:
Men’s Health Network is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to reach men, boys and their families where they live, work, play and pray with health prevention messages and tools, screening programs, educational materials, advocacy opportunities and patient navigation. Learn more about MHN at menshealthnetwork.org and follow them on Twitter https://twitter.com/MensHlthNetwork and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/menshealthnetwork
About the Author:
Ramon Paolo Llamas received a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine and an MPH with an emphasis in Health Education and Promotion from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He has worked in a variety of settings in the public health and healthcare fields since 2005.
