I’ve always been an overeater at parties.
If you ask me to a party, I’m going to overeat. Overeat with relatives, overeat with colleagues, overeat with total strangers.
It’s almost like a gift. If you put food in front of me, I’ll eat it until it’s gone. Even if it tastes like soiled socks (like often at events).
It worsens over the holidays and while I’m on vacation.
Last Christmas, I miraculously managed not to overeat, which is why I call it a Christmas miracle.
I want to replicate this miracle this year since I’m tired of losing weight just to gain it back in a few months when a holiday is approaching. I’m not going to go on a diet or anything. I’ll simply keep eating healthily and trying not to consume too much of anything unhealthy.
Let’s look at how I’m going to attempt to stay on track and why some of us overeat around the holidays or while on vacation. Let’s also see if we can do something about it.
WHY DO WE OVEREAT ON HOLIDAYS OR ON VACATION, AND HOW CAN WE CHANGE IT?
Eat healthily and exercise to stay in shape during the holidays (at least more often than not). These are five ideas to help you remain on track with your health objectives without overeating and gaining weight, even when you’re celebrating with your family and it’s perfectly OK to eat as much as you want!
THE FIRST REASON IS THE DEADLINE
I just returned from a ten-day trip to Spain with a bulging stomach. I didn’t become pregnant or grow a fetus in 10 days there, I simply ate a lot of food.
As though there is no tomorrow.
“I’d want to try this, this, and this.”
I went completely insane.
The fact that I’m only in Spain for 10 days and won’t be able to eat any of their traditional meals AGAIN IN MY LIFE placed a lot of strain on my shoulders, which were meant to be relaxed on vacation.
Why did I have to eat so much?
Because there was a time constraint.
I knew I only had 10 days and that I would never be able to eat those things again (which, by the way, is not true).
When there is a deadline, people become very efficient. Overeaters, like me, are not immune to this law. You go into survival mode and acquire whatever you can today, knowing that the world will come apart tomorrow.
It’s the same thing during Christmas. It’s just for a few days that you’re permitted and expected to appreciate all you can since it won’t be there after that, you won’t be with the people you love, and you won’t be able to eat again.
THIS IS HOW TO FIX IT
You are not required to consume everything. When I’m near food, I usually want to taste EVERYTHING. And by try, I mean devour it all. In truth, there are just a few foods that I like and hence would be worth eating.
In Spain, for example, I ate a lot of different stuff, but I only enjoyed approximately half of what I ate. I could have avoided some additional pounds and stomachache if I had only sampled the other things instead of eating the whole dish.
Save your calories and stomach capacity for foods you know you like. Have fun with them. What do you want to try? Just a smidgeon If you like them, go ahead and buy them; if not, well, you tried.
Relax, this isn’t the final time. When I’m eating a holiday meal with my family, I act as if there won’t be any of “this” tomorrow, as I did in Spain.
I worry and start competing with the other people at the table. Of course, the competition is solely for me and is all mental, but it still counts since it makes me highly efficient.
The same is true for events or all-you-can-eat buffets. I constantly eat as if there would be no tomorrow. Is this, though, the final time I’ll ever eat this food?
I have my doubts. In fact, I’ve never had that happen to me.
I’d eat the same item someplace, somewhere, within a few weeks. There are very few things these days that you can’t find, create, or acquire the recipe for.
So, unwind, enjoy some of your favorite foods, and know that you may have them again tomorrow. If you do want. Don’t worry about it and instead enjoy what you’re eating and the fact that you’re with the people you care about right now.
REASON #2: IT EXISTS.
Why do I tend to overeat foods I don’t really enjoy? It isn’t because there will be none of this tomorrow. It’s because it exists.
That’s all.
It’s there in front of me, staring directly into my eyes. That’s too good to pass up. Even if it’s something I despise, odds are I’ll eat it if there’s a bowl of food in front of me.
HOW CAN THIS BE FIXED?
One strategy to avoid eating food just because it is there is to keep oneself busy, to stay active. And, of course, to avoid being in the vicinity of that meal. For example, instead of sitting and chatting in front of a box of doughnuts while you’re talking to someone, go for a stroll together.
Don’t simply stand around guarding the buffet at an event; walk out and interact with people. This is something I should absolutely learn since I like my smorgasbord and occasionally find people at parties bothersome. But, if the setting is intriguing, I like to dance and have a look at it.
REASON #3: I HATE BEING THE PARTY POOPER.
We are continuously under pressure to make good decisions. If it isn’t food, it’s smoking, drinking, our jobs, our pals… We constantly seem to be doing something wrong.
And we feel bad about it.
Then the holidays arrive, and everything should be forgotten.
Everything is permissible for everyone.
But the fact is that it’s not only permissible; it’s almost as if we’re compelled to revert to our old ways. We are under pressure to “feel good.”
You don’t want to spoil your family’s vacation by discussing or even thinking about the number of calories in a slice of chocolate cake, do you?
So, you attempt to fit in and do what you’re meant to do on this particular occasion — fill your face with whatever comes across your plate. “Take care of yourself.”
On the other hand, you know that this “special event” will be gone in a matter of days, and you’ll have to start again. If you can, since it’s not going to be simple.
HOW CAN THIS BE FIXED?
When it comes to family, I’ve discovered that discussing why you eat or don’t eat anything is pointless.
You do it, and that’s the end of it. Everyone has their own dietary philosophy these days — eat anything you want, only lean meats, only veggies, only carbohydrates… Someone will constantly attempt to persuade you that you must do things the same way they do.
Solution: just eat consciously and in proportion. Have some of your favorite items and don’t feel bad about it.
If you truly want some chocolate cake, go ahead and eat it. Stop eating if you’ve eaten enough chocolate cake. After all, one piece is usually plenty.
This way, you won’t spoil the party for everyone else and you’ll get what you actually want.
REASON #4: WE ARE PHYSICALLY BORED
We can’t wait to go on vacation. I just cannot. We’re sick of our employment, our surroundings, and whatever we do on a daily basis… When the holidays arrive, we have the freedom to do anything we want with our time. But, let’s face it, if you don’t plan a particularly busy holiday, you’ll end yourself dining someplace with someone all the time.
The fact is that if you aren’t active, your vacation might be pretty dull. It’s a moment when you don’t have much say in what you do because you’re all going to do it “Together.” So, you’ll need an activity that everyone can participate in.
It turns out that eating is one of the few things we all share in common. As a result, we can’t think of anything else we could do together. Of course, if eating is the only thing, you like doing, you will overeat.
How to Resolve This
Instead of being sluggish and bored, I now like being active with my family — we could go ice skating, hiking, or anything else that would keep us all busy. Then, when you share dinner together later, you won’t want to overeat. And even if you do, it’s okay since you’ve been active all day.
Participate in, and include others in, the menu’s creation. When I’m invited someplace where I don’t have to move a finger, I eat significantly more than when I’m invited somewhere where I have to cook. I seem to be more concerned with whether or not people are satisfied with the cuisine. If everyone participates, you will genuinely be sharing meals rather than consuming mindlessly something that one person produced on their own (which is pretty unfair). Furthermore, being active and doing activities together with other than eating builds additional memories. So, rather than rewarding yourself by being bored and sluggish, reward yourself by doing something new, innovative, and interesting.
REASON #5: THERE ARE NOT MANY HEALTHY OPTIONS
We never eat salads while we’re on vacation or during the holidays. Alternatively, a smoothie. There aren’t many healthful snacks available around the holidays. Even if you eat in moderation, this makes it simpler to ingest more calories. Even if you only taste a tiny bit of everything, you can find yourself full before you’ve even had a whole dinner.
HOW TO REPAIR IT
Remember how I said last Christmas that I didn’t overeat? That’s because I made a nutritious dinner full of salads and healthful dips. I enlisted everyone’s help, and we went on a trek that day. Everything was amazing, and I still feel like I ate a lot. But it was all things I like and that was healthy for us. It was a wonderful day, and the greatest part was that I didn’t have to spend hours preparing supper. I had certain items previously prepared, such as the quinoa and the dessert, and I cooked everything else from scratch.
If you can’t cook the whole meal, prepare a little portion of it, such as a favorite salad, hummus, or other dips, or a healthy dessert.
Drink plenty of water instead of sugary beverages. Make veggies the star of your dish, whether they’re in a dip, salad, or rice. Be conscious of your surroundings and take the time to taste your meal. If you engage in something unhealthy, make sure you’re aware of it and okay with it — there’s no need to feel terrible about it.
GET STARTED
Instead of just reading the bullet points below and doing nothing, I need you to take action. From all of the reasons why we overeat, I feel that being active, rather than meeting solely to eat and speak, would be the most significant improvement. While it may be difficult to eat thoughtfully at supper, being active throughout the day is something you can manage.
So, here’s what I’m asking you to do: Make a list of three activities or locations you’d want to visit with your family during the holidays. The exercise does not have to be a marathon, and the location does not have to be far away — simply a pleasant park where you can stroll would suffice. Of course, the activity cannot entail going to a restaurant or watching television.
Then, recommend it to your family; if not all of them, maybe some of them would want to join you. You’d be shocked how bored people get after doing the same thing year after year. Make a plan, prepare some nutritious meals, and eat just when you’re hungry and only when you’re hungry.