If you’re like many others, Christmas is a time of unparalleled excess! It’s a time when you give in to the good feelings and just let loose with indulgences. Congratulations, you deserve it! You deserve that one time of year when you do what feels right and completely comfortable to you.
Of course, high on your list of indulgences is, no doubt, edible treats. The cakes, drinks and savory dishes keep calling your name. And while it’s okay to answer, it’s important to set some limits so you don’t end up overindulging.
Try these behavior modifiers to help curb your gastronomic enthusiasm during the holiday season:
1. Drink water first. One quick and easy tip for ensuring you avoid overindulging on Christmas treats is drinking a glass or two of water before you start munching. Science indicates that your brain doesn’t know the difference between the fullness created by water and that created by food.
* When you drink water, your brain and body think that you’ve started to fill up. And while that may be true, the feeling of fullness from water doesn’t last very long. So tackle the food while the feeling is at its peak.
* This approach allows you to fill up on calorie-free water to cut down the space left in your stomach for actual food.
* Plus, your body needs this extra hydration when you’re eating calorie-rich foods!
2. Take small portions. Remember that your body is like a machine that goes through processes on a consistent basis. It needs time to digest what you’ve put into it.
* When at the Christmas office party or your family dinner, take small portions each time so your body gets a chance to break down what you eat.
* Having smaller portions at each sitting allows you to maintain your energy level instead of feeling bogged down by the weight of a hefty meal in your stomach.
3. Keep moving. While you feast on the wonderfully tasty treats from your Christmas eating exploits, make it a point to keep moving around so you’re not constantly sitting in front of a plate and devouring everything that’s on it.
* Walking around and talking with others around you while you munch serves as a distraction and can eventually lead to you feeling full quicker than you normally do.
* Moving while eating also helps maintain a healthy metabolism so food consumed can be easily digested.
* Pay keen attention to what parts of your body other than your mouth are doing while you’re eating. That way, you can shift focus to other things and cut your interest in food.
4. Stick to your workout schedule. If you want to be able to eat like there’s no tomorrow, find time to exercise so what you eat doesn’t get the chance to negatively impact things like cholesterol, heart functioning, and body fat.
By all means, you should enjoy all that Christmas has to offer, including the food! Just ensure to maintain a balanced lifestyle so there will be no regrets when you look in the mirror at the start of the New Year!
