Michelle May, M.D. is a "recovered yo-yo dieter" and the author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. You can learn more about her work, and find more tips for mindful eating, at AmIHungry.com.
Love the holidays, but dread those tables overflowing with cheesy appetizers, starchy side dishes, or sugary desserts? Michelle May says that having the right mindset for the season is the key to keeping your weight steady. These 15 tips should help:
1. It’s easy to be distracted from signals of hunger (or fullness) at social gatherings when food is the main event. Pay close attention to your body's signals to guide your eating.
2. Think of your appetite as an expense account. How much do you want to spend on appetizers, or the entrée? Do you want to save some room for dessert? Go through this process mentally at the start of the evening to avoid eating too much and feeling uncomfortable.
3. Ignore the outdated advice that you should eat before you go to a party so you won't be tempted. That’s absurd! You want to be hungry enough to enjoy your favorites.
Pace your eating prior to the event so you’ll be hungry but not famished at mealtime.
4. Most people are food suggestible. Make it easier for yourself to avoid overindulging by socializing away from the sight of the food.
5. Survey all of the food at a buffet before making your choices. Choose the foods that you really want most and remind yourself that you can have the other choices another time.
6. Be a food snob. Skip store-bought pastries, dried-out fudge, and so-so stuffing. Think about it: How much less would you eat if you only ate foods that tasted fabulous?
7. If the holiday dinner so special, then rather than eating it on autopilot, give it your full attention. Eat mindfully by reducing distractions and sitting down to focus on and appreciate what's in front of you — even if it's just a cookie.
8. Appreciate the appearance and aroma of your food. Put your fork down as you savor one small bite at a time. You'll eat less, but enjoy it more.
9. If something doesn't taste as good as you expected it would, stop eating it and choose something else.
10. Beware of mindless grazing that leaves you feeling stuffed but strangely unsatisfied.
11. Be wary of "obligatory" eating — eating just because it's on your plate, or you paid for it, or it’s free, or someone made it for you. A polite No, thank you usually works, but if you're concerned about hurting someone’s feelings, eat a bit and then ask for the recipe or for a small portion to take home with you for another meal.
12. Before reaching for seconds, pause, and ask yourself, "How do I want to feel when I'm finished?"
13. Restaurant servings are often "two for the price of one." Request appetizer portions, co-order with your partners, or have the server package the rest of your meal to go as soon as you've eaten enough to feel satisfied.
14. During lengthy holiday meals, you may want to remove your plate, or have it taken away (or put your napkin over it) to avoid continuous unconscious nibbling.
15. Don’t use exercise as punishment for eating. Instead, look for opportunities to move after your meal, like a walk after dinner to enjoy the holiday lights, a few laps around the mall, or a stroll with guests to see local holiday attractions.
Most importantly, delight all of your senses. Enjoy the company, the atmosphere, the entertainment, and the traditions as much, if not more, than the food.
Find more practical health advice from the experts at Grandparents.com:
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