Between Halloween and New Year’s Day, the average weight gain for people who struggle with excess weight is 8-10 pounds. If this describes you, kick this trend to the curb and find permanent weight loss. Here are some holiday eating tips. If permanent change has eluded you, here’s a hint at what it looks like:

 

 Holiday Eating Tips

1. Enough with the Halloween candy! Make your party (and your kids’ focus) on fun, costumes, friends, connections. When my son was small, I let him eat some candy on Halloween, then he picked 7 items to keep (1 per day for the next week) and the rest went to the neighborhood fire station. Some dentists will PAY kids for their candy. YOU can pay your kids, or teach them about donating excess to others. NO ONE really needs another damned snickers bar, especially children. If your child is challenged by ADHD, anxiety or depression, get the crap out of sight now, and forever.

2. Plan ahead. What are your goals for Thanksgiving and any other holidays you celebrate? Design some limits, FRESHen up the menu with better choices, and get creative. Does the family like mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes? Make one at thanksgiving this year and save one for next year. Or make one for Thanksgiving and one for your favorite December holiday. Overeating does not equal enjoyment.

3. Plan EXTRA exercise into your schedule. “Extra” means exercise beyond your usual quota. A friend of mine insists on an hour walk after the meal and before dessert. Everyone who opts out gets no dessert! She’s a tough cookie, but a trim one. Her entire family knows the value she places on health. No excuse for weather, she lives in North Pole type weather!

4. Measure enjoyment AFTER the meal. If you are miserable after a holiday meal, that’s an unhealthy sign. Discern the body’s cues and feedback. Some negative feedback a body can give: indigestion, bloating, fatigue, mental fuzziness, depression.

5. Really TASTE. To truly taste and enjoy every bite, spread the enjoyment out and never overfill the stomach. A tradition in my family was elaborate menus for every meal – Christmas Eve, Christmas morning and Christmas dinner – all laden with a lot of high fat items. Overload! Now, I take one item that my family truly enjoys for each of these meals and add lots of fruit and veggies around it.

6. Remember the Holiday’s Purpose. Redirect the focus of holidays to the intention of the holiday, and celebrate purpose and people instead of worshiping food.