- Have. A. Plan. Do not go anywhere without truly thinking about what you’re going to consciously choose – and then keep your portions small.
- Nuts vs cheese plate?
- Appetizers vs. dessert?
- Wine vs. chocolate?
- Gravy vs. butter?
- Stuffing vs. mashed potatoes vs. candied yams?
- Butter tarts vs. squares vs. pie?
- FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out. Remember that you can eat this food (or drink that beverage) any time of the year…you need not justify things simply because it’s the holidays.
- Only eat things you absolutely LOVE. Anything that is less than fabulous doesn’t deserve to have the privilege of being chewed by your teeth.
- Eat before you go anywhere – lots of people try to eat nothing during the day to save their calories for the evening. This strategy NEVER works. Once at the party you’re extremely likely to overeat and over-drink.
- Try to have a huge green salad in the late afternoon, even better if you add some protein to it (grilled chicken, sautéed prawns, etc.)
- Drink LOTS of water during the day
- Skip the alcohol. OR know exactly how many drinks you’re going to have. Decline the cocktail or glass of wine when you first arrive (say you’re parched!) and ask for water (sparkling or flat – better with a twist of lemon or lime), this gives you time to relax and take in the party. Most people don’t even “taste” their first drink in a social situation – they guzzle it to “relax”.
- Alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks during the evening
- Opt for tea at the end and skip the liqueurs
- Wear tight clothes. This is not a time for your stretchy pants or anything with an elasticized waist. ‘Nuf said.
- Buffet style? No problem – here’s what you do:
- Grab your plate but go through the line once just scanning the different food choices – notice what your favorites are
- In your mind eliminate at least ⅓ of the options – this goes to point #3 – you simply don’t need to have Great Aunt Jessica’s jello aspic salad
- Be VERY mindful of portions – visualize what ½ cup looks like and stick to that for the carbohydrate options (stuffing, mashed potatoes, pasta salad, perogies, roasted yams, etc.)
- Skip the bread and/or buns. This is an “everyday” food that you can have any time you wish
- Peer pressure – I swear some adults become “food bullies” at parties:
- “Just eat!”
- “Oh, you don’t need to worry about your diet tonight, just enjoy.”
- “Honey, you look great the way you are, besides I made this for you – it’s your favorite!”
- “Is that all you’re having? Oh come on, a bird eats more than that, have some more.”
- “Alright everyone, now you need to go back for seconds – I’m not taking no for an answer.”
- In families, food very often gets confused for love. Often the family culture has been if someone is sad, make cookies. Upset? Have wine. Don’t know what to do? Make comfort food.
- The unspoken sentiment is — I’m going to show you I love you by cooking for you. You’re going to show me you love me by eating it.
- This is where your words need to trump your actions. You must flatter with compliments. Instead of taking a second helping you say, “Oh, Gran – this is the most amazing butter tart I have ever had!! It’s delicious. Get curious about how they made it. What’s the special ingredient. How did they make it so flavorful/tasty? What’s their trick?
- Three Bite Rule – research has shown that the first 3 bites of anything are the most pleasurable. If you simply need to try a little bit of everything then stick to 2-3 little bites. This can be done easily if sharing desserts with someone else
- Create accountability – you can do this either through your sister, hubby, mom or friend (anyone at the dinner or party with you) – here’s how.
- Let someone close to you know your intentions for the night and let them know you’d like their support/help in staying on track (whatever that looks like to you)
- Journal about what your intention is for the evening. Ask yourself, “How do I want to feel when I wake up tomorrow? What do I want my result to be this week – weight loss, weight gain or stay the same?” And then imagine achieving that. Decide what actions you’re going to take.
- Be a social butterfly – instead of stalking the appetizer or dessert table engross yourself in conversation. Focus on connecting with your family and friends at this time of year and learning more about them.
- Sit + savour. Try to not eat standing up – find a place to sit and slowly chew your food savouring each bite.
- Put everything on a plate! Don’t just stand and nibble out of the bowl or off the plate. It’s hard to monitor how much you’re actually eating and VERY easy to just-keep-munching-because-oh-my-god-it-tastes-so-good!
- Make it. Bake it. Portion it. Freeze it. Give it away. → self explanatory
- Don’t keep food around that is going to constantly tempt you.
- If homemade butter and cream fudge is a family tradition then by all means enjoy the experience of making it as a family but don’t keep it around…
- This applies to cookies, cakes, squares and so on.
- Stick to your “routine” as much as possible. Get enough sleep and maintain your workout schedule. Good habits beget more good habits. Working out can create that sense of feeling virtuous which means you’re less likely to succumb to the holiday temptations.
- Traveling? No prob.
- Airports: skip the coffee + doughnuts from the coffee shop or the latte + lemon loaf from Starbucks and munch and crunch on all of the fresh veggie slices you’ve stocked your carry-on with. Yes, you can take vegetables on the plane – they won’t confiscate them.
- Road trip: Most people eat out of habit or boredom on road trips. Instead make an awesome play list and skip the carbohydrate snacks. No pretzels, chips, cheezies, licorice, candy or chocolate on the road. Pack real food – sandwiches, veggies, air popped popcorn.
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