The 5 Best Tips to Avoid Overeating During the Holidays.

The holidays are known for Caroling, Family, Lights, Christmas Cheer, and FOOD. Delicious food that is so easy to have seconds. But if you are training for anything then you cannot let yourself add an extra 3 pounds to your waist every time you get together with family and friends. Even if you aren’t actively training, how often have you left a family feast with a heart full of love a belly about explode. Noone wants to have to fight the heartburn and sickening feeling of overeating on the way home.

I personally have a talent of eating. I think I have some horse DNA in my bloodstream because my brain doesn’t have a shut off valve for eating. It just doesn’t register when I’m full. (It turns out that all of our stomachs have a very slow response time). I’ve eaten an entire deep dish lasagna by myself and all but 4 pieces of the Old Ephraim 48″ pizza. Needless to say these tips have helped me probably more than anyone, especially #1. (Thanks @UtahTriCoach for the awesome suggestion)

So without further ado here are the top tips for avoiding holiday binge eating. (in reverse order)

5. Step away from the hors d’oeuvres. Snacking before the meal is a silent killer. For some reason the party bowls always seem to be filled during the holidays. Because you are nibbling one at a time you may not even realize that you just downed 15 shrimp and 20 cocktail weiners. It is easy to consume your entire meal’s worth of calories before it even starts. Get reaquainted with loved ones away from the snacks on the counter.

4. Water – Drink a lot of water. Again, you can consume a full meal’s worth of calories in liquid form. Choose water instead of eggnog, hot cocoa, Wassail, or sparkling cider. The water will also help trigger the “full” feeling and will naturally slow down your mouth’s desires.

3. Eat everything on your plate… just use a smaller plate. Studies have shown that we tend to eat everything on our plates. During the holidays we tend to fill our plates. If possible exchange your plate for a slightly smaller version. You can still fill it with all your favorite Christmas delights but you will have less room for calories.

2. Only go back for seconds of special/healthy food. There are a lot of options that you can delightfully munch on during get-togethers but, instead of dishing up the yams with burnt marshmallows only dish up the gourmet Sweet Potato Pie. Leave the rolls and high starch food off of your “Seconds” list. There is a big difference between Grandma’s Homemade Pumpkin pie and Costco’s pumpkin pie. Pick the special foods, leave the rest.

And here is is the best tip of all to avoid overeating during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Holiday.

1. Make yourself a little plate that you can eat the day after. Once you have dished up everything you wanted now, place it by your nametag at the table and get a 2nd paper plate that you load up again. Put some tinfoil on it and throw it in the fridge. This will be a treat for the next day. I grew up in a family of seven kids. If I didn’t get my favorite foods fast (and a lot of it) I would miss out entirely. With this technique that childhood fear of being deprived of my favorite foods is entirely gone because I know that I can satiate my immediate cravings and still have more happily waiting for me. In essence you are going back for “seconds” without having to eat it immediately and over indulge.