Royalty Media Group Blog

Holiday Eating Tips with Trainer Aja Davis

Trainer

It happens every year.  The holidays come around and all your hopes of sticking to your guns about not eating sweets or having an extra serving of Aunt May’s mac & cheese AND candied yams AND mashed potatoes AND sweet potato pie go out the window.

And who are we kidding, the holiday eating starts the minute the kids walk through the door with all that Halloween candy. You promised yourself you wouldn’t eat it. Well, ok maybe just one. And one turns into three and before you know it, your kids are wondering what happened to their night’s plunder. You know you’ve done it. Don’t lie. And you know what, you’ll probably do it again whether it’s at the company holiday party, at the family thanksgiving day dinner, or one of many food filled holiday events marked on your calendar before 2009 comes to a close.

Well here are some tips to keep yourself from going overboard this holiday season that will help keep you slim and trim

1. Eat before you go out. If you know you will be at place that serves food that is not a part of your healthy meal plan for the night, try preparing something healthy beforehand and enjoying a meal a bit earlier. If you are full before going out, at the very least, hunger won’t tempt you to indulge.

2. Brush your teeth & chew gum. Brush your teeth right before going out. Ever think about how you don’t want to eat anything after brushing your teeth. By keeping gum in your mouth you keep that minty taste going and ever notice how certain foods taste gross right after chewing gum or brushing your teeth. Try it. Can hurt

3. Make a plan and then tell a friend/partner/spouse. First, decide what you will and will not eat before going out. Then, tell a friend/spouse who is going to be at the event with you what your plan and that you intend not to eat these foods. Not only will this help keep you accountable, but you will be more mindful of what you are eating because someone else will be watching you too.

4. Know that it’s OK to cheat. One of my clients put it best, “Thanksgiving is only one day.” And actually, it’s only one meal. Plan ahead of time for that meal. If you know that you will be eating a whole lot on that day, then start cutting back a bit now so you will feel better on that day. No one should feel guilty about what they eat on Thanksgiving. I believe you should never feel guilty about food. But if you do, preparing for it ahead of time helps. In your regular meal plans, include one meal (yes just one) where you eat whatever you want or ‘fall off the wagon’ so to speak. We are all human, and building in “mistakes” not only makes us feel better but will prevent bigger downturns in the future.

5. Don’t slump on your exercise routine. We are creatures of habit. Keeping your your healthiest habits during the holidays not only will keep you pumped with endorphins, but you’ll be less tempted to go off the deep end if you are feeling really good about yourself.