10 Ways To Stop Overeating After The Holidays

I'm sure I'm not the onlyl one that takes a little vacation, tastes a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, and it turns into a lot of this, and a lot of that. Of course, You don't feel the weight gain, as you lounge around in your comfy sweatpants all vacation long. You think you're fine...You think things are going along great...until you put your work clothes back on. You sit in your chair and feel....HEAVY! Whoa...what did I do to myself over the holiday season? Did I learn anything from the past?

One of the worst things about overeating during the holidays, is getting over the panic that you CAN lose the weight you gained. You CAN gain control. I found 23 ways to gain control back after such events, and picked 10 that I think will work for me, and maybe you too!

1. KNOW YOUR TRIGGER FOODS

This is definitely one of my problems. I probably wouldn't overdo it on mashed potatoes, steak, or salads. I definitely WILL overdo it on holiday cookies, cheesecake, and anything sweet.  Get rid of it. I actually had a wonderful cheesecake from my sister in law in Ohio, that I had a bite of and then sent to someone else's house. Unfortunately for me,  my son brought the ramainder one their party was over, and then I didn't have another back up plan. It found its way to my tummy. Bottom line: Learn from your blunders. I learned that my back up plans may need back up plans. If you KNOW your'e going to eat it...don't lie to yourself. Get rid of it.

2. GET RID OF THE DIET MENTALITY

One thing that I've learned over the past couple years is that dieting never works. You have to learn how to eat to your benefit. I LOVE lots of foods. You have to stop thinking that you're missing out on all the fun. How fun does diabetes sound? It isn't! Fun is having a healthy body...being able to do the things you love to do...feeling good!  Learning how to eat, and knowing that you can have everything you want as long as you don't over do it, is important.

3. DON'T DO THIS ALONE

If you gain weight, and it makes you eat more, get help. Just knowing that you are not alone, and that there are people who can help you take back the control you need, is important and YOU ARE WORTH IT!

4. MINDFUL EATING

Practicing mindful eating can also help you eat the right proportions of food. Knowing that you only go a little crazy at the holidays, use the rest of the time to be in the moment. Slow down and enjoy each bite of food.

5. REMEMBER YOUR GOALS

One of the biggest things I want to keep my weight in check; my health. Remember those times that you've felt terrible; or gained so much weight that it was hard to do the things you loved. Remember the way you felt overall; emotionally; physically. What is your overall goal? Make it important enough that it helps keep you on track.

6. EAT THOSE HEALTHY FATS

Fat! What?! I can't.  Actually...yes you can; and when you eat healthy fats, it helps you feel full. Healthy fats include: Avacado, a variety of nuts, seeds. Add some of those to your salad. Again...you DO have to watch portions. A little bit of healthy fat will help you. A LOT of healthy fat will not.

7. BREAKING OLD HABITS: YES YOU CAN

Do you know that back 10 years ago I would go to the grocery store and buy for my family, 4 12 packs of pop, two bags of chips, cereal, frozen pizzas, white bread. We would have bisquits and gravy, bacon and eggs for breakfast every Sunday morning. Now I stick to the parameter of the store. I buy whole wheat bread, no frozen pizzas, no 12 packs of pop on a regular basis. It's meats, veggies, sushi, salads; it's 2% milk. I'm not saying we NEVER have those other things, but I don't make those kind of meals for myself or my family on a regular anymore. I don't even miss it! If I can change my habits, so can you.

8. ASK YOURSELF...WHY AM I EATING?

This is important. Do you eat out of boredom, stress, or depression? I would say that part of eating for me includes these things at different times. You can be happy today; you can worry about your kids tomorrow. You can just get stuck in your own head when you have too much time on your hands. All that being said; you have control over ALL of those things. Take it back.

9. DRINK WATER INSTEAD OF SUGARY BEVERAGES

I hate water. That's what I used to say. Negative talk? For sure. Water? There's nothing better for us! Why do you hate it? Because you don't crave it? Cravings are typically bad. Realizing that it's bad is part of it. Getting rid of pop, kool-aid and other sugary drinks will definitely help you cut back on calories and cravings. As a matter of fact, if you THINK you feel hungry, drink a couple glasses of water first.

10. PLAN AHEAD

Make plans for what you are going to eat for the next day before you go to bed. Maybe make plans for the whole week if it works for you. I think about food alot; for me making a daily plan sometimes works best.

There are a lot more great ideas out there; and lots of people that eat healthy and don't feel cheated because they didn't have a cookie. Maybe you watch them enjoy cookies and treats over the holiday and wonder; why aren't THEY gaining weight like me? Maybe they don't over indulge, maybe sugar isn't their downfall? They may have other difficulties; Remember...this is YOUR battle. You deserve to feel good and healthy and it's not too late to take control.

Lastly...don't give up. In life remember that you will gain weight...you will lose weight...don't overthink it. Don't feel like you're a failure. Jump on the bandwagon of "I'm Worth It" and don't stress if you've gained a couple pounds...or 20. Just start working on your plant to get it back off and feel good about YOU!

For more tips on overeating, click HERE now.