Thanksgiving is often the holiday that ushers in overeating during the holiday season. But you don’t have to become an overeater.
Here are 3 tips to keep you from all that stuffing, candied yams, apple pie, mashed potatoes and more.
1 – Cheer up another guest.
This year, at your holiday celebration, one of the best ways to quit obsessing about sweets is to do something for someone else. So find a guest or two on whom to focus. First ask your relative or loved one or friend what’s going on in her or his life. Listen carefully. Then offer support, encouragement, validation and understanding. Give warmth, compassion and love, too. As your heart opens up, you’ll fill yourself with good feelings rather than food.
2 – Practice gratitude.
Much has been said about the value of being grateful year round—and even on a daily basis. Naturally, Thanksgiving is a time to be especially jubilant and grateful for all that you have. What better way to quit overeating than to use saying thanks to stop your pigging-out behavior? What you’ll do is this: Rather than just say grace before the meal, each time you take a bite of candied yams, turkey, stuffing, etc., you’ll thank the Lord (or whoever you thank) for at least 3 things. Just think: Every time you put something in your mouth, you have to say thanks for 3 things. That takes time, right? In other words, delving deeply into gratitude like this can help you to slow down and thereby help you keep from overeating.
2 – Plan something fun after your feast.
Before the Thanksgiving meal begins, get members of your family or friends to agree to do something fun afterward. Decide whether you’ll take a walk in the neighborhood, play a game of cards or soccer or sing karaoke in the living room to your favorite tunes. Just find some activity that appeals to most of the guests. By getting excited about festivities after your meal, you’ll place less emphasis on eating all that pie and potato, etc. and, I predict, be less interested in overeating.
Did these tips help you? Do you have any others? Share them with us here.