Today is Halloween, and if you’ve been on a diet roller coaster, you well know that Halloween can trigger the most challenging time of the year for weight loss. It seems that from Halloween to New Years Day, everywhere we turn there is a holiday celebration with sweets, temptations, and just an overall abundance!
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Growing up, my family always celebrated Thanksgiving with lots of relatives coming for a big turkey dinner with all the traditional fixings. I loved having everyone together, and still do. Most Thanksgiving holidays, we ordered pizza for lunch so we didn’t have to prepare another meal while cooking the “big” meal. Relatives usually started arriving around 1:00 pm with pies and bakery cookies. I loved helping with the cooking and getting the house ready for company.
The best part was when we all finally sat down at the table together. I’d look around at everyone and smile with genuine love, happiness, and gratitude.
After our relatives left, we’d take out the leftovers around 10:00 pm and have a second dinner! Not the healthiest way to go – but I didn’t know better then. So food and love and family all went together.
Maybe this sounds familiar? Everyone has their own unique journey, but for many of us, perhaps you can relate to my story.
What comes to mind when you hear the words “Help yourself?”
Back in the day, the only thing that meant to me was – help myself to the food. Maybe help yourself refers to a buffet of food, or maybe it has new meaning to take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and doing what you need to be healthy and happy. Like the flight attendant on the airplane says "Put on your own oxygen mask before you help others."
A few years ago, I did what I thought was the unthinkable and had a restaurant cater some of our Thanksgiving meal! Last year, I did something similar and had Wegmans do all of the cooking. After all I still have to polish the silver, iron the tablecloths, clean the house, and the list goes on. I love to do it, but at what cost to my health. I'm going to enjoy my family and friends and not be stuck in the kitchen.
There are many ways of coping and making things easier on ourselves during the holidays.
Here are 5 simple strategies for managing your health and helping to prevent weight gain through the holidays.
1. Breakfast
Continue to eat a healthy breakfast every day. Just because you know you are going to have a big holiday dinner with dessert doesn’t mean you should skip breakfast as you might overindulge later. An egg bake or overnight oats prepared the night before means that breakfast just needs to be heated in the oven in the morning.
2. Activity
Continue your usual exercise routine, or if it needs an upgrade, use the holidays as an opportunity for some new activity with the family. Perhaps take a walk or a hike before or after the big meal, or join a local Turkey Trot. If you don’t have a usual exercise routine, start slowly now by asking yourself what you could start doing. What kinds of activities do you enjoy? This time of year you could start with some functional activities like apple picking, raking leaves, and parking further at the mall when shopping.
3. Lighten Up Your Food
Plan your holiday meals with traditional foods but think about adding in a new vegetable dish, or substitute a vegetable dish for a healthier version. Think color when planning your meals to ensure getting a variety of vitamins, minerals and health benefits as well as a beautiful plate.
· Cauliflower mashed “potatoes” instead of mashed potatoes
· Green beans almandine instead of green bean casserole
· Baked sweet potatoes instead of mashed potatoes, or candied sweet potatoes
· Green Harvest Salad with Walnuts and Pears
· Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots
· Poached Pears
· Butternut & Kabocha Squash Soup
· Pumpkin & Apple Soup
· Apple & Pear Crisp
Many of these recipes are on my website www.maryellenzung.com.
4. Plan to Feel Good
Plan to feel good after holiday parties by visualizing and mentally rehearsing your party plan. What will you eat and drink? What will you plan not to eat or drink? Who do you want to catch up with? Who do you want to get to know better? Visualize taking one plate and moving away from the table in order to prevent mindless munching. Then at the party, follow through on your plan. You can also plan to bring a healthy delicious dish.
Bring …
· Bottle of Sparkling Water with lemon slices
· Guacamole Deviled Eggs
· Harvest Salad with Walnuts and Pears
· Fresh Fruit Platter or Salad with Pomegranate Anvils – sprinkle in coconut, add mint leaves
· Homemade Dark Chocolate Bark
5. Sleep
Stick to a good sleep routine. There are a lot more items on our “to do” lists during the holidays. Getting enough sleep will help keep you healthy, balanced, and in control to make decisions to support your health. Delegate tasks, decide what can fall away, and remember the true meaning of each holiday. You might need to ask for help.
What will you do? What else you do to stay healthy during the holidays. I’d love to year your story.
I’m a health coach with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a certificate in holistic health coaching. I’ve been a weight loss coach for almost 15 years and a practicing health coach for the past 6 years working with individual clients, and with groups, as well as conducting workshops on a wide variety of health topics. In addition to my training, my own health experiences have taught me how to care for myself, and my body. Through diet, mindfulness, and lifestyle change, I has rid myself of skin problems, extra weight, several autoimmune conditions, and digestive issues.
You can follow me, healthcoachmaryellen on Instagram, and see some of my favorite healthy recipes on Pinterest. Learn more on my website www.maryellenzung.com.