Holidays are fun and should be celebrated, and what’s a holiday without food? Even if we want to feast in moderation, we succumb to the stereotypes of festive feasting, while feeling fearful, anxious and stressed. How to enjoy the holidays without overeating? Here are 15 tips:
1. Define what “enough” is. It’s easy to fall into the trap of “it’s the holidays, so I eat what I want!” trap of promising yourself that if you overeat during the big holidays, you can stick to your diet in January. If you don’t allow yourself to indulge in special festive dishes, you’re bound to overeat afterwards. Therefore, the best solution is to allow yourself to eat ‘enough’. This means that you have to find something on the table that you simply cannot resist, such as Anita’s trademark mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, but that’s about it. Enjoy your favourite dishes without overdoing it. It will be a healthy indulgence.
2. Don’t overeat during the holidays. The 500 extra calories you will consume by eating potatoes will not harm your body. It will be harmed by worrying about the extra calories. Scientists call this ‘pleasure anxiety’. When we categorise food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, eating the ‘bad’ food makes us feel bad. Every time we bite into a slice of cake or a piece of bread we feel guilty. According to Marc David, author of The Slow Down Diet, this anxiety puts our bodies under stress, which translates into extra weight. Conversely, when you relax and enjoy your food without feeling guilty, your body is in optimal digestive mode instead of turning treats into fat on your hips.
3. Listen to your body. Part of the reason we feel guilty when we eat treats is because we overeat them. Don’t overstep your boundaries. Feel the subtle difference between healthy and unhealthy indulgences: an extra bite of cake will make you feel fat, while an extra portion will make you feel sleepy and dizzy. Listen to your body and it will tell you when you’ve had enough. Even though your mind will still be urging you to eat at that moment.
4. Enjoy your food. When we devour food almost without chewing, our brain interprets this as “I’m not fed”. It will continue to crave food, which will lead to overeating. “Changing behaviour is not a matter of willpower, but of listening,” says dietitian Marc David. When you enjoy your food, you’ll be satisfied with less of it. When eating, focus on the taste, texture and flavour of the food.
5. Start in moderation. The saying ‘eyes are bigger than the stomach’ is not a coincidence. Big plates and large portions encourage you to eat more. Have a smaller portion and if you still feel hungry after eating it, have a little more.
6. Remember the importance of leftovers. During the holidays we tend to eat special foods. And on the big holidays of the year, we also eat meals that are only eaten once a year. This can lead to a feeling of a rare occasion, so instead of eating everything at once, spread the festive food over the whole holiday period.
7. Be prepared. If you know that you usually overeat during the holidays, plan your day. For example, if you know there will be no fresh vegetables served, bring a salad. If you are a vegetarian, bring a dish that you can eat when others are eating turkey.
8. Eat regularly and early. If your family traditionally eats its festive dinner at 6pm, have a regular lunch and breakfast that day. This will help you avoid overeating at dinner. And in any case, bring dinner earlier so that you can still be active.
9. Think of yourself first. You can’t be good for everyone, so if someone insists on a dish you don’t want or puts food on your plate, you can say no. Put your own needs first, not those of the hostess. There is nothing wrong with politely refusing food.
10. Find your balance. If you are used to eating according to external factors (when others are eating, even if you don’t feel hungry), then it can be difficult to stop eating when others are enjoying their food. In this case, you may want to get up from the table and sit by the fireplace, go to the bathroom, etc. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself.
11. Get out of the kitchen. When you are surrounded by temptations, it is useful to stay away from food. When you have eaten a full meal, leave the house. This will get you moving, speed up digestion and take your mind off food.
12. Think beyond food. You can create a festive mood without eating. Play board or card games. Watch a festive film. Help with the dishes and chat with your aunts in the kitchen. Create a sense of love and connection with your loved ones without focusing on food.
13. Love your family for who they are. Sometimes it is not the food itself that causes overeating, but the thoughts we bring to the festive table. Don’t think about your expectations of your family. Love your family for who they are.
14. Create enjoyment beyond food. Food is the first way to give yourself pleasure. But what gives you joy during the holidays besides food? Maybe you like to sleep in during the holidays and wake up later than 7am feeling like it’s Saturday.
15. Don’t strive for perfection. If there is one thing we can learn from the French, it’s that it’s a long way from enjoying food to being healthy. Because nobody eats perfectly. And if you try very hard, you’ll just go crazy. So relax. Food is not just calories, protein or fat, it’s about joy and nourishment. Create your own food culture that meets your body’s needs. Break free from the mentality of dieting, because you will never have peace of mind. Just slow down, listen to your body and enjoy your food.