Start eating early
When Holidays arrive, it’s more important than ever to start with a good breakfast. Give your body plenty of protein, fibre, and nutrients so it truly feels satiated. That will greatly minimize the chance of you eating everything in sight later in the day. A couple of eggs, steamed spinach and broccoli, grilled mushrooms and tomatoes, and a slice of sourdough bread topped with avocado pieces is a great example.
Put healthy combinations together
Having a variety of treats at arm’s length is the best environment for overeating. You can at least partially combat it by learning to combine foods the right way. Imagine each plate being divided into thirds. One third should be non-starchy veggies like broccoli, salads, mushrooms, cauliflower, or zucchini because they are low in calories and will help fill you up. One third should be dedicated to a protein source like turkey, beef, pork, or chicken, this will also help with satiation. The last third can be made up of side dishes like potatoes, peas, corn on the cob, rice, and other treats. This way of filling your plates will make them nutritious and filing but still very tasty.
Drink water
Hunger signals can often be mistaken for dehydration. Keep drinking water throughout the day, maybe even more than you normally would. This should also help keep you full and limit chances of overeating.
Freeze leftovers
You’re not out of the woods even after the Holidays. There are usually so many leftovers that you could happily keep stuffing yourself for a couple more days. That’s why it’s best to freeze any excess so you don’t feel pressured to eat everything to avoid wasting food.
Don’t beat yourself up if all doesn’t go according to plan
The only thing that’s worse than overeating is overeating and stressing about it. Even if you follow all of the above mentioned advice, it is likely things won’t go according to plan. And that’s ok. If you’re on top of your eating and exercise whole year round then you’re succeeding in the long term. A few days won’t undo that. Just be aware when you go off the rails, not to feel guilty but to enjoy yourself properly!
