Help! The gingerbread man is calling my name…(December 2009)

You make it through Thanksgiving and now arrive at work and we are in the midst of December. Your clients and colleagues are sending thank you goodie baskets to the office as well as bringing the leftovers from their home that they do not want. How do you manage during this difficult time?

Contrary to popular belief most people gain five to ten pounds from Thanksgiving through new Years. During adult lives the average weight gain is 0.4-1.8 pounds per year. The reality of what the weight gain is over the holidays is about one pound. That is minimal in the big picture but the problem is more that it is not lost over the year and more importantly the individual has never addressed their relationship with food.

Here are some tips to help you and your clients stay above water over this challenging time:

1. Do not go to a party hungry.

I always recommend to my clients treating the day as normally as possible without skipping a meal. It is helpful to even have a snack before the event so then one may take an inventory of all the possible options and be able to check in with their hunger level before they unconsciously start making a plate of food.

2. Bring some type of treat to the office if the treats that are in the office are trigger foods.

Some of us say I can have one piece of that brownie, but before you know it, you have broken off many pieces of that brownie and that brownie has eaten you, instead of you eating that brownie. I think many foods may be a trigger food, especially if you have not made peace with that food and learned how to legalize it. Perhaps taking that treat in its entirety, sitting down with it and just focusing on eating that treat without any distraction would be a way to work it in. Remember one food is not a deal maker or deal breaker.

3. Have what you truly want

I believe emotional satisfaction is equally as important as physical satisfaction. If you are saying “I am not eating carbs” and you find your self just eating sliced turkey and roasted brussel sprouts (which can get boring) you may find yourself “picking” when you are cleaning up the kitchen, or “sneaking” a piece of pumpkin pie, instead of just giving yourself permission to have it in the first place.

4. Do not skip a meal

When one does not overeat, we tend digest our food in a 3-4 hour duration. If we have regular eating intervals, then we will create a stronger working metabolism. This will allow us, to stop and pause when eating to assess how hungry we are, are we satisfied or eating just to eat? These are some of the questions that are important to begin asking oneself.

These tips are a handful of many to allow you to coast through the holidays. I am happy to work with any of you for more support or your patients. Have a healthy holiday and New Year!