I want to give a quick shoutout to everyone who came out to Nourish’s weight loss support group on Thursday! I can’t tell you how awesome it was to meet some new faces and catch up with those we hadn’t seen in a while. Diana and I are excited to be part of such an encouraging group of people!
On another note, happy Thanksgiving week to everyone! vI hope you all have some fun things happening this week. I have a lot to be thankful for this year, so I am definitely looking forward to giving back and spending time with family and friends this holiday. Let the turkey trots and family gatherings where you are still assigned to the kid’s table commence!
Parties and holiday gatherings are meant to be celebrated, so I am all about having some cocktails and pie. But, the frequency of indulgences (cookies magically appear everywhere I look) and increased stress and emotions can contribute to feeling sluggish and weight gain over time. Can you relate? Don’t worry. Having a plan and taking time for yourself can keep you focused.
Here’s my top 5 tips for navigating ALL the holiday festivities this year:
- Slow down! This can be applied to a lot of different areas in life (driving, shopping, talking…) but also when it comes to sitting down and enjoying your meal. This might sound obvious, but chew your food! Put your fork down In between bites, drink plenty of water, or you can always start up a conversation with those distant relatives about the deer problem in Maryland. Not to mention, holiday events can last hours, or all day, and include several courses…so pace yourself.
- Be selective! Choose foods you really enjoy, skip on the ones you could do without. Not sure what’s going to be on the table? Offer to bring your own dish.
- Saving up your calories never works! Skipping meals and counting on willpower to keep you from over-eating at the main event is a recipe for disaster. Eating a balanced breakfast and planned snacks before hand can keep your blood sugars stable and prevent you from getting hangry.
- Say NO without the guilt! Learning to politely decline food you don’t want or need has always been a tough skill for me to utilize, especially when it comes to family. Anyone else have a food pusher in the family out there? Try shifting the focus off of yourself and acknowledge their efforts by saying something like “Wow, those cookies look so yummy, but I’m full. Where did you find the recipe?”
- Find support! Do you feel like you are trying to get healthy alone? You don’t have to. Ask friends or family to help you, and be specific about your needs (“don’t send me home with any leftover treats”). Your Nourish dietitian can help, as well as our awesome support group.
How will you be spending your Thanksgiving holiday this year? What do you look forward to the most? We would love to hear from you.
