The holiday season is a time for spirit, cheer, and warmth. It is also centered on family, friends, and—most prominently—food. Starting from Thanksgiving, through the 25 days of Christmas, and culminating in a countdown to the New Year we bounce from delicacy to delicacy, each loaded entirely with decadence. And although we might try to ignore and place negligence on our sugar yearning and savory senses, we fail time and time again. Yes, it is the most wonderful time of the year…until you notice your gradually bulging waistline. The months of November and December fly by as each day is filled with aspiration for the next festivity. Before you can finish your Halloween candy corn, you are devouring turkey delights that conclude only with the introduction of eggnog and gingerbread cookies. Never mind winter wonderland, you are trapped in a food fairyland. So, the real question posed is not what to eat but how to eat. I’ll admit that I am far from a nutritionist or food-guru by any means. But I am living proof of holiday food debauchery. Each year, I have my own battle with such continuous consumption. As I stare down that extra sugar cookie shaped perfectly like an evergreen, I repeat age-old euphemisms and proverbs: you only live once, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, and it’s only one time a year…go for it! So I do, only to tack on that extra pound once the week is completed. Each week follows like such as the days are stuffed tighter than that hanging stocking with parties and food. Dealing with this weight gain is an annual fight I loose, inevitably making my number one New Year’s resolution to exercise more frequently. But this year, let’s try something different, together. Let’s break the eating streak and contemplate what means more to us: that extra holiday delectable providing the slight sugar rush or feeling superior to our weaknesses? Let’s walk out of this holiday daze feeling just as good as before the dense drinking and dining commenced.
Step one, creating new sayings: yes, you only live once but do want to live with a growing jean size? Now, I am not saying do not enjoy but consider that Mount Everest sized second helping of turkey topped with gravy lined with potatoes. Just consider portions; do you really want that cookie when you were perfectly satisfied with the last? The answer is no. One is enough: get the perfect taste, savor the moment, and move on. Step one completed. Step two: balance indulgence with exercise. Do not beat yourself up after a night of true celebration: just move on positively. Approach exercise the next morning with a constructive mindset. Remind yourself that this is not an excuse to eat even more at the next festivity but to counteract the few ounces your previous meal packed on. And your exercise does not need to be extreme: do what your comfortable with, whether a walk or a run, getting your heart pumping and blood flowing will create not only a healthier lifestyle but help drop the calories consumed. Step three: do not limit yourself. Limiting and dieting just lead to further eating. The more you limit, the more you crave, and thus, the more you binge. Step four and the most important step of all: bask in the beauty of this season. It truly is a time of universal delight so do not allow the trouble of incessant eating pester you and embrace the overwhelming affection and celebration! So the next time—most likely this weekend, considering the season—you are stuck face to face with a festivity-eating dilemma, consider these four steps. And remember, we all are trapped in an inundation of holiday celebration so you are not alone. Just ask yourself, even though that cookie is perfectly sprinkled with green and red sweetened delight, do I really need it? Happy Holidays! photo source: http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID12545/images/11082007gingerbread(3).jpg