The Notorious "Holiday" B.I.G: I'm not a Food Slayer....I just Munch A Lot.

Have you ever seen those 90's rap videos where there's a party, everyone's dancing around having a jolly ol' time enjoying the DJ's music when all of a sudden, someone unexpected walks into the party? The DJ looks up, the music comes to a screeching halt and everyone stops dancing and gives a disgusted look to the new guest?

That's how I feel about holiday food...it's the new guest. I mean- I'm on a roll in the summer. Eating healthier, exercising, and feeling great! Then the fall & holiday season comes around and it's like the new guest just crashed my health party. 

Except...I can't kick the guest out of my house because I like them. No, I love them. I want them to be here.  And I especially love holiday food. From the pumpkin chocolate chip bread in October to the good gracious Thanksgiving dinner and desserts in November, I fall victim every year to the heavenly holiday hash. And don't even get me started on the month of December. The whole month I feel like we consume more cookies than Santa Claus himself.

Now I'm not trying to be the "Notorious Holiday B.I.G food slayer" here. My problem is that I just munch A LOT. These last months of the year I love to munch on my secret stash of Halloween Reese's peanut butter cups in my freezer, Grandma's Christmas fudge in the pantry, the sliver(s) of holiday honey ham, and the oh-it's-just-a-small bowl or two...or three of pumpkin Chex mix...the madness is real! However we can still enjoy food while keeping a healthy perspective.

Here are my Seven Realistic Tips to Beat the Holiday bulge:

1) Beware of buyer’s remorse. Not the retail kind (that's for another article). I'm talking about the grocery store kind. Throughout the holiday season there are all sorts of “deals”. From black Friday ads to the mounds of coupons promising “buy one get one free” holiday promotions, it’s so hard to say “no”. I mean, it’s such a great deal…(or at least this is how I have justified it on the past). 

This season try buying just enough for what you need and that goes for food, too. Maybe you’re planing to make those delicious peanut butter cup cookies you’ve been drooling over while perusing Pinterest or you found that amazing orange & cranberry glazed turkey recipe you want to try out at the upcoming family Thanksgiving gathering. Sounds so good! But instead of stocking up on two bags of peanut butter cups with a coupon or buying that 18-pound ham, buy only the amount you need for the recipe and for the amount of people you are feeding. (You will also have sides that they can fill up on, too). If you're looking to have leftovers, remember that they could potentially turn into leftover pounds, too.

2) Plan Your Family Meal Calendar and Use it.  I can’t say enough great things about meal planning. It has honestly cut back on lots of stress & time that comes from the monotony of daily cooking for our family. When we meal plan, we know what we’re going to eat and it can help assure that our healthy eating goals will be realistically met. Try spending 30 minutes on a Sunday night planning the new week’s meals (including breakfasts and lunches).  Make a list, gather any coupons you have, and plan a trip to the grocery store. Stick with the menu you've planned and you’ll not only stick with your attempts to maintaining a healthy diet, but it might help you keep your family's monthly food budget in check, too!  There are many meal planning websites that have lots of great healthy recipes. I could go on and on about it! Hmmm....I feel another article coming on...

Image credit: homemakerschallenge.com

3) Make Time for Exercise. Finding an exercise program that truly works for me and sticking with it is an ever-going battle. 

To make an exercise program successful, I've tried making smaller and more realistic goals first. For example, I schedule three days a week (when I know I can find 25-30 minutes to exercise) and commit to it by putting the days and time I will exercise on my calendar. There are those who have that "ain't-nobody-got-time-for-that" attitude but I don't want to be one of those people...health is important and should be a priority. According to a recent report by eMarketer, as adults, we spend an average of TWO hours on our phones and tablets a day (this doesn't even include the amount of time spent watching TV..which was over FOUR hours a day). 

Even making a conscious effort to take the stairs at work or to take a 20-minute walk during your lunch break can make a big difference to your physical and mental health anytime, and of course, can relieve some stress this holiday season. Carving a turkey may be on your mind now, but unless you carve out the time in your schedule to exercise, you’ll be paying for it later. So keep up the exercise!

Image credit: Whattoexpect.com

4) Portion control & drinking lots water. I’ve already mentioned meal planning as a tool that can help with monitoring what we’re eating each day. Next, try practicing portion control. Fill the majority of your plate up with healthy vegetables first before adding other foods. Drinking water before eating and throughout your meals is not only helpful for digestion but helps us stay fuller longer. 

5) Try putting desserts and snacks away after eating, close up the kitchen and brush teeth!  Someone once told me that if I wanted to cut back on nightly snacking, I should brush my teeth after dinner. When I don't do this it's just too easy to grab a handful or two of M&Ms (darn you, Target and your amazing selection of holiday M&Ms!) When I brush my teeth after dinner, I find myself thinking more before I eat. It's also helpful when I pack up the goodies and get them out of my view. Out of sight, out of mind, right? If I feel I need a little snack later on in the evening,  I try to look for healthier options or drink a tall glass of water.

Image credit: abc.net

6) 'Tis the season to share. Every year I buy a few of those Ziploc/Glad holiday bags and containers. Why? Because I need help! If I don't share the goodies they will most definitely end up in my mouth. When making holiday goodies or if we have dinner left overs, we share with our guests to make sure we don’t have lots of leftovers that could turn into left over pounds.  Buy a few extra disposable plastic containers to pack up any extras and send the food home with your friends and families, your waist will thank you.

7) Give yourself a break and indulge a little. I leave the best for last, non? For me, it's unrealistic to think that I'm not going to bake or have special family dinners with all of the fixings over this holiday season. I LOVE to cook and bake and I feel cooking in the kitchen make some of my favorite memories with our families. So I don't get upset with myself when I have those indulgent moments....in fact, I savor them. However, as long as I'm attempting to eat healthy most days of the week and exercise, I can afford to eat a few foods I want. Plus, by restricting what I eat all the time, I turn into this guy:

Instead of this mom blissfully baking with her kids:

Image credit: www.sheknows.com

As we all venture into the holiday eating this year, may the odds ever be in your favor, may the force be with you and may you have the power to stick to our healthy goals! 

Disclaimer: I’m in no way a  dietitian/nutritionist  so pretty please consult with your doctor first before starting any diet and/or exercise program! Happy Holidays!