Overindulgence at Christmas is common. My Christmas lunch typically looks like loads of vegetables, meat and probably seafood if you are Downunder. This is probably washed down with a couple of desserts and a few fizzy beverages. Then we start all over again in the evening, and encourage our stomach’s to stretch in order to fit in the last bit of pud.
I don’t know about you, but I was in a food slumber by the end, feeling a bit guilty (and definitely uncomfortable), with the amount I had eaten. Lots of nods going around the virtual world right now?
But this year was different. I was not the stuffed turkey. So what did I do differently?
1. I was in charge of the planning. Planning in advance helped me decide what food my family will eat and how many meals we would have. Three was our magic number with no snacks.
2. Choose delicious foods that are ‘god given’ not refined foods. Parsnip, carrots, swede, red cabbage, meat and fat are all good foods to eat when you are trying to lose weight. Although you may want to limit how many brussel sprouts you are having simply for the side effects!
3. Challenge your belief about wasting 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. The waste on your plate either goes in the bin as waste or on you as waste. Which of those serves you better?
4. Portion size: Be aware of how much you are eating. Grab a slightly smaller plate, or take smaller portions of each of the foods you enjoy. This includes the dessert!
5. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. This may take a bit of practice! Listen to your body and be kind to it when it tells you you are full. Being mindful and tasting your food definitely helps this.
