Survive The Holidays Without Bingeing

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat

Banish the special occasion mentality.Â You’ll be less tempted to overeat during the holidays if you stop depriving yourself the rest of the year. It takes the â€œspecial occasionâ€ mentality out of the equation.

Minimize your exposure.Â Wait until the last minute to buy or prepare holiday goodies. Make only whatÂ you really think you’ll need for parties and gifts. Resist the temptation to dump the leftovers in the break room at work. Not only will that decrease your own exposure, but your co-workersâ€™ exposure too.

Remember, it’s not your food.Â All too often we eat whatever shows upâ€”from cookies in the break room to samples in the grocery store. But you didn’t choose to put it thereÂ so donâ€™t mindlessly put it in your mouth!

Save room for dessert.Â If you’re going to eatÂ holiday treats and desserts (you know you are!), then adjust for it. After all, does it really make sense to have to eat all your dinner to earn the right to eat more food?

Ask, â€œAm I hungry?â€Â Whenever you feel like reaching for a treat, pause to check in. Sometimes, â€œI want chocolateâ€ really means, â€œI want a break,â€ â€œI want a reward,â€ or â€œI want to scream.â€ What else could you do to meet those needs better?

Try the Four Really Test.Â Another question to ask yourself is, â€œDo I really, really, really, really want it?â€ If the answer is yes, choose your favorite and enjoy it without distractions or guilt.

Love what you eat.Â If you love your favorite holiday foods that much, act like it! Enjoy your snack or meal mindfully without distractions. Savor the appearance, aromas, textures, and flavors. Put your fork down to focus on the bite in your mouth instead of immediately loading the next bite.

Just right!Â A couple of mindful bites of fabulous food is much better than a plate full of so-so.Â Since those first few bites areÂ always the best, think before you dive in for more.

Eat fearlesslyÂ withoutÂ guilt.Â We all know that guilt leads toÂ moreÂ eating, not less. When you make a conscious decision to eat a treat, enjoy the experience fully, then let it go.

Don’t torture yourself with exercise.Â Being physically active feels good, relieves stress, and provides numerous benefits for your health. Don’t turn exercise into punishment for eating.

Pass it on.Â The holidays are a great time to teachÂ your kidsÂ how to enjoy a variety of foods as part of a healthy and active lifestyle. Through observation, they learn that it is possible to balance eating for nourishment with eating for enjoyment.

Read more:Â How to Survive the Holidays? One Bite at a TimeÂ

You Are What You Eat

Every 35 days, your skin replaces itself. Your liver about a month. Your body makes these new cells from the food you eat. What you eat literally becomes you. You have a choice in what you are made of simply because YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.

I am all for clean eating these days. I have seen the dire consequences unhealthy living and too much stress (basically, not really taking care of yourself) can do to you. I am still young. I want to experience so many things, including camping out underneath the stars with my family in our Buy Big Agnes Scout tent. I want to finish a marathon. I want to take care of my future grandchildren.

That being said, there must be solid steps to be able to accomplish my goal. I am not going to go vegan and an all-organic person, but I will be more mindful of what I eat from now on.

1. Eliminate soda from my diet.
2. Cut down processed food drastically (hotdog, processed meats, bacon, etc.).
3. Limit junk food to once a week, gradually weaning to once a month.
4. Limit fast food, if we can totally eliminate better.
5. Do detox once a week. A green juice would do wonders.

Portion Control

Source: via Amy on Pinterest

Did you know that even if you eat healthy foods if you do not practice portion control, you can still end up gaining weight? It’s very simple, like computer security made easy!

I found an illustration at Pinterest that can guide us on how to take portions on kinds of food we usually eat. I will be practicing this immediately!

How Vegetables Fill You Up

This is the reason why you should eat more vegetables and try not to fill yourself up with empty calories – oily foods, soda, junk food and those foods that is so delicious to eat but make your hungrier after you eat them!

As you can see with the illustration, 400 calories vary depending on what type of food you take. This is very important when you are trying to lose weight. 400 calories of the good kind of food will not only help you feel full longer, it will be easier to burn the calories off too. 400 calories of chicken for example will make you hungry only a few hours after you eat it. Not to mention the oil, fat and bad kind of carbs you can get from the frying.

Just a friendly reminder now that it is the holidays!

Take Out Food vs. Home Cooked Meals

1. You get to save more when you cook meals from home.
2. Your family eats healthier food.
3. They get to eat more too, as you can see. Take out food can only take you that far with $20. That’s only for one eating. $20 of groceries can feed you for days.

While it is perfectly fine to indulge in eating out once in a while, I believe nothing gets better than staying home and eating homecooked meals! (I should learn how to cook!)

You are What You Eat

Here are some superfoods you might want to try:
1. Aids in detoxing and digestion
2. Burns fat and accelerates weight loss
3. High in Vitamin C
4. Relieves constipation
5. Alkalizes the body


1. Good healthy fats that aid in weight loss and burn fat
2. Prevents and assists arthritis
3. Reduces and reverses aging
4. High in vitamins A, C, K and B6
5. High in Fiber, Potassium and Folic Acid

Levels of Eating

What level are you on now? What level are you choosing to be on moving forward? Food is meant to sustain us and support us through life, not be the focal point of our experiences. We don’t need fried, greasy foods to excite our brains and give us something to feel good about, that’s an emotional cover up. Eating to feel happy is just a sign that something else is missing in life. Look for healthier ways to create sustainable happiness and satisfaction in your life in your relationships and experiences. Find what is missing, follow your heart, follow your passion, go out and be YOURSELF â™¥