Right about this time, you’ll hear the old Christmas standard “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” playing. True enough, I love this season. I love the downtime, hanging out with my family and…the food.
Boy, do I love the food!
Over the last year, I kind of slacked off, saying that I would clean up my act after Christmas because, heck, there was a lot of good stuff to be had but, this year, I am doing something a little different. This year, I am going to practice some self-control.
There are a few “tricks” I’ve been employing. Actually, it’s just better habits that help me not feel so tempted. The first is to drink more water. This is typically not a problem on days where I work out. However, on those off days, the desire for it is not as great. But, if I get in 8-12 glasses (this is the amount that works for me — your mileage may vary), I find that I don’t go crazy with the food.
This brings me to another “trick” — working out on a holiday. I find that getting in 30-60 minutes of exercise, especially in the late morning/early afternoon, doesn’t ruin my holiday time the family and keeps me from gorging myself later. To me, it’s more psychological than anything. After I work out, I don’t want to ruin it with overeating.
My final “trick” will be to not hang out where the food is. We typically go visit relatives on Christmas. It’s a full house so, you have people congregating in the living room and around the kitchen table. I opt for the living room. The food is piled high in the kitchen and there’s even a separate table for the desserts. I find that being out of the visual range of the food helps me not think about it as much. I still eat but, it’s not the mindless nibbling that can occur when everything is right within arm’s reach.
So, wish me luck. Hopefully something I wrote might help you, also. If you have any strategies that get you through this time of year, if you’re willing to share, I’d love to hear them.
