How To Prevent A Downward Holiday Eating Spiral At Thanksgiving
Worried Thanksgiving Will Trigger Overeating Until The New Year?
Thanksgiving can be a pretty stressful holiday. Not only is COVID-19 causing it to look very different this year, but it is also a holiday that largely revolves around food.
The focus on the feast can leave many of us feeling anxious and fearful about overindulging and triggering a downward spiral of overeating between now and the new year.
The focus on food at Thanksgiving causes many people to worry about starting a holiday food binge.
If you find yourself worried about the holidays, read on for a few things you can do to prevent yourself from sliding down that slippery overindulging slope.
1) Eat A Healthy Breakfast Thanksgiving Morning
Many of my clients want to skip breakfast in an effort to save calories for the feast. Please try to resist this urge. I can tell you from first-hand experience that this will very likely backfire because you will be so hungry by the time the meal comes around that physiology will override your decision making process. And remember, my sweet friend, biology will always win.
When you enter a meal in a state of famish - particularly one like Thanksgiving - you drastically increase the likelihood that you will overindulge and step away from the table feeling miserable, stuffed and wanting to unbutton your pants. And since that stuffed feeling often triggers the "oh screw it" mentality, it can very easily send you into a pattern of overeating.
2) Try To Slow Down And Eat With Intention
There will be so many foods to try but if you eat too fast you won't be able to enjoy them. Have you ever noticed that no food ever tastes as good as the first few bites? Try to really relish those first few bites with this in mind. Whatever you choose to eat, really pay attention to the smell, the texture and the taste. Savor it slowly. I promise if you do this, you will feel more satisfied and put yourself in a position to avoid overeating.
3) Don't Restrict Or Make Anything Off Limits
When you see the foods on the Thanksgiving table, you may be tempted to play Eat This, Not That and mentally categorize foods as healthy versus not healthy. Instead of picking foods to avoid, try using the Adding In philosophy. Ask yourself "what can I add to my meal that I know will support my health?"
The standard Thanksgiving plate consists of mostly browns, yellows and whites. Could you add some color to your plate to give it a healthy boost? Maybe some green or some purple?
But what happens if you don't have anything green or purple to choose from? Why not think about adding it to the meal plan right now? This could be as simple as throwing together a salad or roasting some red cabbage. What could you add to your menu that would make you feel great? It doesn’t have to be complicated - it just needs to make you feel good.
4) Make It Fun!
My family likes to play a game based on the TV show Nailed It where we will try a new recipe and compare it to the original. My girls then act as judges and determine whether or not we 'nail it'. I plan to play this game on Thanksgiving with this new Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad recipe.
But the fun doesn't have to be food related. You could add in an element of fun by asking silly questions or playing a mealtime game.
Relax Into the Holiday To Feel In Charge
Follow these tips to relax into the holiday and alleviate stress around the food aspect of Thanksgiving. Control is often what we seek but it is never the answer. The more we try to control our food, our portions and our eating the less in charge we ultimately feel.
Need Support This Holiday Season?
Please know that support is just a phone call or an email away. I offer wholehearted individualized coaching and would be honored to support you.