Ah, Thanksgiving…a day of togetherness and celebration, a day set aside for expressing gratitude for our many blessings. Now, though, this holiday — smack in the middle of The Season of Sugar Overload — has become synonymous with pigging out. For many, it’s a foodie free-for-all, which can make you gain weight, play havoc with your moods and plunge you into self-hating remorse. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Discover 3 Simple Shifts to Stop Holiday Overeating.
- Grow Bigger Eyes
You probably know the expression, “My eyes were bigger than my stomach?” This holiday is the perfect time for you to look at this old adage in a new way. Instead of using the maxim to explain away the mound of food on your plate, take this as your goal: You want to Grow Bigger Eyes. By this, I mean you want to develop and then actually see a grander, better, bolder vision of yourself. In that split-second moment during which you decide how much to pile on your plate at your family-style Thanksgiving meal or buffet (or, while you’re getting up the courage to say, “No thank you” to your host), envision how you’d like to look and feel next week, next month, next year.
- Focus on the Best Food
It’s easy to get distracted and then mindlessly overeat when you’re surrounded by chatter, laughter, and plates of food being passed around near you. In fact, studies on eating behavior show that the more chaotic an environment, the more food a person tends to eat. But you don’t have to cave in. Instead of allowing yourself to get waylaid by what’s happening around you, focus on the best food near you. First look at it. Then, select some. Next, smell it and taste it. I’m not talking about gobbling it. Slowly chew it at least 10 times. Finally, swallow it. Put your fork for down between bites. Chat with your relatives or dinner partners. Then turn your attention to your food again, treating it with the respect such a special meal deserves.
- Think Abundantly.
Remember that Thanksgiving is a holiday of abundance. It’s a time when we give thanks for all the good in our lives — including the good food in front of us. But many of us approach the holiday and the accompanying meal with a mindset of scarcity. Your thinking—often subconscious—may go something like this: “Thanksgiving dinner comes only once a year, and after today, it will be gone. So I need to eat as much of these holiday foods as possible while I have the chance!” While those thoughts are normal, they’re not healthy or abundant, right? Instead, eat until just before you’re comfortably sated. Then tell yourself that you’ve had enough of these yummy dishes for now. Your waistline will thank you tomorrow, next week, etc.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.
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