Come October the little devil on my shoulder gets louder and a little bossy. The idea to throw out any healthy eating plan gets tossed from shoulder to shoulder between good and evil. I always feel the need to fill my cute little holiday themed bowls with CANDY. I don’t even like eating that much candy but for some reason the need to have it setting on my nicely decorated entry table seems like the right thing to do. And yes, this all starts in October and usually ends after the Fourth of July. Did you know they sell Red, White, and Blue chocolate covered candies? I am a sucker for color coordinated candy for the holidays.
So, with all this candy around the craving to indulge is there, especially from my little red-horned friend sitting on my shoulder nudging me to sneak a piece. However, the candy isn’t even the worse part, it’s all the baking and the yummy, comforting foods that come with cooler weather. But let’s not forget about the dishes we eat come the actual holiday!
With all of these temptations surrounding me they just add numbers on the scale and excess inches on my waist, or do they?
It seems there is an unspoken rule around the holidays that over-indulging and over-eating is acceptable. I mean, look at this picture that is floating around the internet…is this really the "Average American Holiday Season?" Unfortunately, for some people it is but it doesn’t have to be our reality.
If we get this idea that the holidays make us over-eat out of our head we will all be a little lighter and a lot happier that our pants still fit come New Year’s Day!
The easiest way to get through the holidays without weight gain is to stick to your healthy lifestyle, eat in moderation and exercise regularly! There are so many healthy recipes to swap out the “bad” ones that having a second helping is OK! And, don’t torture yourself about what you can and cannot eat; instead, focus on the tradition of the holiday and enjoy the time with loved ones.
Having a positive attitude about food and how you view food will only make your life easier and healthier.
Enjoy the holiday for it’s meant for.
Keep calm and Eat On