We are entering the holiday season, with many meals together that encourage overeating. This is also a season where we tend to be lazier than normal and eat heavier foods that usual. It is often calculated that between mid-November and mid-January, adults in Western societies gain about one pound.
So, the question becomes, “How do we bring family and friends together, enjoy each other’s company, eat together, enjoy tasty meals, and still not overeat to the point of gaining those traditional holiday pounds?” Well, the easiest thing to do is to make sure that you enjoy all of these things together with your friends and family while not overeating. Here are some tips to help you avoid overeating during this season that is so focused around food:
- Start each meal with a soup or salad.
- Eat slowly.
- Focus on protein.
- Stay hydrated, or make sure that you drink plenty of water.
- Don’t go to a party hungry.
- Eat until you are satisfied, but not stuffed.
- Pack snacks to avoid fast food while you are out running errands.
- Be sure to get enough sleep every night.
- Since you likely can’t eliminate alcohol, try to make sure that your drinks are lighter than usual.
- Use the mindset of “I can have it but I don’t want it.”
Luckily, these are a lot of tips that can also help throughout the entire year. If you are looking to lose a little weight over time and improve your overall health, minimizing your eating can help. No matter when it is, all of these tips can help you, such as not going to a restaurant extremely hungry so that you don’t overorder.
