Put your hand up if you have ever said to yourself on Christmas Day, “I ate way too much”. Christmas is a day to enjoy, but often when we overeat or indulge, we end up beating ourselves up in an unkind way, putting a bit of a damper on a special day. Christmas is about love for others, but also love for yourself.
But love for yourself does not look like you eating all the Christmas pies. That is not looking after yourself. Love looks like you making decisions ahead of time (at least a day ahead of time), to prevent self-judgement, or the familiar nagging thought of ‘I have no self-discipline’.
So, I offer you 6 tips to help you enjoy your Christmas and prevent the self-judgement.
- Plan how many meals in the day you will eat. Grazing leads to weight gain. My family eat meals and not graze (well sometimes the kids do) and enjoy sitting down to the meal feeling a little bit hungry.
- Eat slowly – Christmas is abundant with food. Take your time and eat it mindfully. Taste each mouthful. Enjoy it. Eating slowly will also give your body time to tell you that you are satisfied before you pass the point of no return.
- Dish up your vegetables or salad first – Make these the hero of your plate. Christmas has loads of delicious fibrous foods like parsnip, broccoli, carrots, swede, red cabbage, lettuce, berries, nuts, and avocado. Fibrous food is great for giving you a fuller sensation and for weight and health benefits. Although you may want to limit the amount of brussel sprouts for potential side effects!
- Challenge your belief about waste food. I am sure many of us grew up in an era where we needed to finish everything on our plate. “Someone in Africa is starving”, my mother would say. There is no harm leaving food on your plate. Put it in the fridge and have it the next day if you experience guilt about it.
- Portion size. If you know you are prone to heap your plate, try using a smaller plate.
- Flour and sugar are two foods that if eaten in excess cause weight gain. So, if you have the choice between a serving of trifle or some berries and cream, have a plan ahead of time that you will choose the healthiest option.
And that brings me to the most important piece of advice…
Do these things not to practice willpower and test yourself, but because you want to take care of you. When you plan in advance, you can choose with your smart brain what you think is achievable and is good for your health but will not leave you feeling deprived. Without the plan, the primitive brain that likes sweet food will win out.
So, avoid that judgy voice this Christmas. The one that says, “You have no self-control”, and build a relationship of trust and commitment to follow through on yourself.
As always, you can mail me at rebecca@rebeccagoodacre.com for any comments or questions you have about support you need to stop overeating and be the you that you love.
Have a beautiful day.
