Saturday I had the pleasure to informally talk about nutrition to a group from Legion Fitness & Development. It is a boot camp-style group (although I don’t think that’s quite the right term for what they do) who had just finished up a two hour special training. We met over breakfast. I decided to talk about a few tips for the holiday eating. I thought you might enjoy these tips, too. They bring together a few of the things we’ve talked about this year.
- Decide where you want to spend your calories. If I love chocolate cake, why would I spend my calories munching on sugar cookies just because they are there? Those sugar cookies can add up quickly to additional miles I’ve got to run to keep them from attaching themselves to my hips. Think about those special foods you love and only get this time of year. Those are the places to spend your calories rather than on every day foods you eat out of stress, boredom, to make someone else happy, etc. Plan ahead of time what those foods are and how much of them you can eat. Then, stick to your plan.
- Use a smaller plate and check your portion sizes. If you can, serve yourself on a smaller plate. We eat first with our eyes and that will give your brain a queue that there is a lot of food on your plate. If necessary, sneak a dessert plate for your main course and wash it off before dessert. Also, remember you can use the palm of your hand to monitor portion sizes. Your palm (not fingers, too) an inch high is about 3 – 4 ounces of protein and also a good marker for starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, etc.). And, remember – we live in a society of abundance. Don’t take a bunch of extra food because there might not be enough. For most of us, there will be enough left over for second and third servings both on the big day and in the days after. We tend to eat what is on our plate. Shortcut over-eating by having less on your plate in the first place.
- Give yourself a gift. One of my favorite presents each year is a gift I give myself on Christmas – a workout. I make a point of going for a walk or run early in the morning – before breakfast and opening gifts. This gives me time to reflect on the day ahead and a chance to count my blessings (its also fun to be out and see the neighborhood kids trying out their new toys). Take some time for yourself and get in a workout. It only takes 20 to 30 minutes. Get out of the house and take a walk or run. You can go alone or take someone else who needs a break with you (maybe the dog?). A workout is a great escape from the craziness that may be going on and a time to hit the pause button. Then, you can return refreshed and ready to go.
I hope you have a special holiday season.