Letting Go Of Holiday Eating
Most people (even people who are very successful at staying fit and eating healthy) let it slide a little on holidays. The difference is in how you recover from those days of low-quality eating. Here are some tips:
1. Don't let a holi-day become a holi-week or holi-month. Just because you ate chocolate eggs and cheesy potatoes on Easter doesn't mean there is any obligation to continue to do so once the holiday has ended.
2. Don't beat yourself up for overeating. Just forgive yourself, and move on.
3. Go shopping. Chances are that you went shopping right before the holiday, but the focus was on traditional holiday foods. You are probably short on your healthy staples right now. This might cause cravings for leftover pie or high-fat dishes. If you fill the house with good food, you can go right to your usual habits.
4. Clear junk foods out of the house. Did your kids get a lot of candy that they don't want/like/need? Just throw it away. (Don't worry about "wasting" it. Wouldn't it be more of a waste to add it to your waist?) Have leftover creamy potatoes? Toss them and make a healthy baked potato.
5. Drink tons of water. Holiday foods are often high fat and high sodium, which causes temporary water retention. The water retention can make you "feel fat" and weigh more, which can lead to emotional eating. Drink your water to clear your system of toxins and water retention.
6. Get extra cardio in. The more walks you take or tennis you play, the less time you have to eat. Also, the more you exercise, the better you'll feel. When you feel great, you're less likely to crave sugar, salt and fat.
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