Ah, les vacances…

C’est l’époque des chants de Noël, du lait de poule et des bonnes vieilles courses dans les centres commerciaux…

Ajoutez à cela le temps consacré à la famille et aux activités professionnelles et vous obtenez une période de l’année assez chargée – une période de l’année où votre régime alimentaire et vos choix en matière d’alimentation saine sont jetés plus rapidement qu’un pull que j’ai reçu de ma grand-tante.

Les fêtes de fin d’année sont difficiles, car c’est une période où l’on a envie de se faire plaisir et où l’on oublie ce que l’on mange. Qu’il s’agisse d’un déjeuner au travail, d’une réunion de famille ou de tout autre événement des Fêtes où il y a plus de nourriture qu’au buffet d’un bateau de croisière, voici six façons d’éviter de trop manger.

1. Ne vous rendez pas à un événement l’estomac vide.

Il s’agit probablement de l’un des conseils les plus importants pour les fêtes ou tout autre événement. Se rendre à une fête ou à un événement alors que l’on est affamé, c’est se préparer à un désastre. Vous aurez les yeux plus gros que le ventre et vous voudrez manger tout ce que vous verrez. De plus, lorsque nous avons faim, nous avons tendance à avoir envie de sucre et de glucides raffinés, qui sont l’ennemi public numéro 1 dans la poursuite d’un mode de vie sain.

Manger un repas de qualité comprenant des graisses et des protéines saines avant un événement vous aidera à rester rassasié plus longtemps et à ne pas vous jeter sur la première assiette de gâteaux au crabe que vous verrez.

This tip also works for grocery shopping. Don’t shop on an empty stomach as you will tend to pick the items that look immediately satisfying or that you are craving which again tend to be those refined carbs and sugar.

2. Change your mindset to “I can have it but I don’t want it”.

This can actually be beneficial when you really have a tough time avoiding culinary temptations. Too much of the time we beat ourselves up saying we can’t have something. Switching that mindset of “I can’t have it” to “I can have it but I don’t want it” can actually cause some powerful changes in how you view what you can and cannot have.

The connection between the mind and food has actually been looked at through studies from Yale that look at how psychological factors can even influence the biological impact of food. Your mind, like your karaoke skills, is a powerful thing.

3. Drink water.

Sometimes hunger signals are actually mistaken for dehydration. Drinking water throughout the day will help to alleviate this potential signal cross. Also having a glass or two of water before you hit the snack table will be a nice little way to help avoid eating an entire figgy pudding..

4. Eat slowly.

The feeling of fullness can take around 20 minutes before the brain recognizes the signals. Eating too quickly overrides these signals causing you to eat more than your body would naturally prefer. We tend to lived in a rushed world and we don’t give those satiation signals a chance to work so slowing down your eating will help you avoid eating more than you actually need.

The best way to do this is keep an eye on the clock and focus on chewing your food quite thoroughly. We tend to stuff food in our mouths, give a few quick chews, and then get ‘er down the hatch. People who chew longer ultimately take longer to eat and report feeling fuller. You will also eat around 10% fewer calories eating slower as opposed to rushing. This slower eating will also help digestion and avoid feelings of cramping and discomfort.

5. Focus on protein.

If it’s impossible to avoid all the baked good and desserts on offer, at least try to consume protein before you dive into them. Eating protein prior to the ingestion of sugars is going to help minimize blood sugar spikes. Protein is also helpful in making you feel full. The foods that best promote satiety contain protein, water, fiber and healthy fats.

Protein also increases metabolism as it requires calories in the digestion and absorption of it in a process called thermogenesis

Protein sources in the form of nuts are usually plentiful during the holidays and will help you from overeating any refined sugar and high glycemic choices. Starting the night off with sources of protein like that will help in the overeating long haul. If only they could help with that hideous tie you chose…

6. No need to be too hard on yourself for holidays.

I can go on about keeping blood sugar levels under control and making sure leptin resistance isn’t occurring, etc, etc, but we are human and it is the holidays.

As a fitness professional, I’m not going to pretend I don’t indulge from time to time. We have these events and foods in our lives that should be recognized as celebrations and enjoyment. Don’t beat yourself up because you had a little extra candy cane ice cream. Just make sure you keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get out of hand and ultimately create discomfort. If you have been keeping on top of your fitness and nutrition, you’re winning in the long run.

Don’t consider the holidays a “slip up” and remember: it’s not going to undo all the good work you’ve been doing. When it comes to your diet just remember, progress not perfection.

Now please pass the figgy pudding. Whatever that is…

Featured photo credit: David Goehring via flic.kr