How to Avoid Overeating During the Holidays

As someone who helps women with their eating, I surprise people all the time when I’m at a holiday party.  They see me eating the brie with soft crusty bread (and she’s going back for more!), then later headed to the dessert table for a few holiday cookies (how could she?!).  They can’t help wonder how on earth I do it — keep my weight in check and help other women do the same.

The trick is to avoid all the typical holiday diet “advice” — avoid certain foods, eat before the party, only take one serving.

Instead, you need to approach the holidays (and frankly, ALL year) with an easier and softer approach for both body and mind.

Here are some of my favorite suggestions:

1)  Make every bite count. Do you want to fill up on all the appetizers and then not have room for dessert?  When you arrive at a party take a look at all the food and decide what it is that you really want to eat.  What are the foods that are special to you.

You can have the basic cheese and boxed crackers any time of year.  But that beautiful brie and soft crusty bread — well, that would be a treat.  Don’t use up your ‘food budget’ on things you don’t really like much or enjoy.  Don’t go picking all the healthy foods because that’s what you’ve been told.

Instead, decide which foods you love the most, or the special foods you only get during the holidays, and eat those.

Because too much self-denial stirs up cravings that only get stronger and lead you to overeat or binge later on.

2)  Stay aware.  It can be too easy to be in deep conversation and not really pay attention to what you’re eating, or your hunger level.   So whether you’re eating a full plate, or just having a cookie, stay aware and take the time to pay attention to how your body feels and stop eating when you’re full.

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Written December 8th, 2011 by
Categories: Blog, Emotional Eating, Intuitive Eating
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Thanksgiving Healthy Eating Tip

For a holiday that’s all about giving thanks, Thanksgiving Day is not the time to worry about calories, fat grams, carbs and diets.

Sure I know there are many tips for eating healthy on a holiday, but you’ve already heard or read about them before:   make sure you eat breakfast, drink enough water, limit your alcohol, fill your plate with vegetables, skip second helpings, etc.

And sure, it’s good advice, but what kind of world do you want to live in if you can’t enjoy a holiday without fretting over whether to have the pumpkin pie or not?  And lets face it, even if you DO fret over it you’ll probably end up eating it anyway.  Either that, or you’ll deny yourself the dessert, and then end up overeating or bingeing later on.

So this Thanksgiving I have one piece of advice (okay, two):  eat with pleasure and without guilt.
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Written November 16th, 2011 by
Categories: Blog, General Wellness, Intuitive Eating
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How To Eat Like a Naturally Thin Person

The other weekend I was at a friend’s house for a party, when all of a sudden a woman came up to me and said “You’re having a piece of cake?”

“Yes,” I said, “and I’m enjoying every single bite.”  The woman then replied, “Oh, you must be one of those naturally thin people…I can’t even look at a piece of cake and not put on 5 pounds!”

Little did this woman know that for at least half of my life I dealt with overeating, emotional eating, binge eating, and yo-yo dieting.

Quite often people see me eating a guilty food, see that I’m at a normal weight — so they just assume I’m a “naturally thin person.”

What people don’t realize is that now, I have a relaxed relationship with food.  And that was the turning point for me.  Changing my relationship with food.  So much of what I learned about food, and my relationship to it, really came to light when I lived in France.

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Written November 10th, 2011 by
Categories: Blog, Intuitive Eating, Nutrition
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One Simple Trick to Improve Your Diet

I like to think I’m not like “most” nutrition experts.

And though I’m all about nutrition — I also take a different road than most people out there.  I’m not going to tell you exactly what to eat and when.  Sure, I’ll give you my suggestions and advice — but I need to look at the individual as a whole and not just say “eat this, not that” (because if it was that easy you’d already be at your ideal weight).

You see, most nutrition experts and Diets give their clients a list of foods to avoid.

And guess what?

As human beings — all too often we want what we can’t have.

Let me say that again.

We want what we can’t have.


 Think about it.  Imagine I tell you right now, that you can never have another cookie again.

Okay, forever seems way too long.  So what if I said you couldn’t have a cookie this month.  I bet that while you’re typing away at the computer, driving in the car, while taking a shower — during one or all of these moments — you’ll be dreaming about, wanting, longing for, and craving a nice warm, out-of-the-oven cookie (preferably chocolate chip, please).

Don’t believe me?  Try it.  See what happens.  DENY yourself something you love, and see how long it lasts.

Ever been on a diet?  Yeah, I thought so.  And remember ‘caving in’ to one of the forbidden foods — and beating yourself up because you ate what you were not supposed to have?

When I work with clients I do the exact opposite — instead of giving them a list of foods to avoid, I have them ADD foods to their diet.

Pretty simple, yet quite effective.

So whether you’re looking to eat healthier, or shed a few unwanted pounds — instead of taking things off your plate, trying adding some.  No, I’m not talking about overeating or filling your plate high with food that it looks like a mountain.

Instead, what I mean is start ADDING some healthier foods to your overall diet.

When you start adding better foods to your diet the unhealthier foods start becoming less and less.  It’s called Crowding Out.  You start to crowd out the not-so-healthy foods for the healthier ones.  So instead of “giving up pizza” you ADD sweet potatoes to your diet. (and by diet I mean eating pattern).

Crowding out adds more to your diet rather than cutting back.

But just start this small shift.   It’s not just a shift of what’s on your plate — but it also is better for your mind.  Because like I mentioned in the beginning with the chocolate chip cookie, sometimes just the thought of having to give up something makes us want to have it.

And by slowing shifting the way you see healthy eating, the easier it will be to stay on the path.

 

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Written November 3rd, 2011 by
Categories: Blog, Nutrition
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Afraid of Overindulging in Candy this Halloween?

With Halloween approaching, I know this can be a difficult time for many people ~ especially emotional eaters.  With all of the candy around, it’s tough to not overindulge in chocolate, feel ‘bad’ or guilty for eating so much of it — and then get into the spiral of eating MORE of the candy, or having it for breakfast on Nov 1st (okay, maybe that was me years ago).

Though I have written about how to conquer your candy cravings at Halloween in the past, and the tips and advice I gave I still stand by today.  But as I’m constantly learning, becoming more aware, and after working with and helping hundreds of women — my insight is deeper & more profound.

As many of my readers are emotional eaters (and let’s face it — there’s a lot of emotion attached to food, so who hasn’t eaten for emotional reasons at some point?), I wanted to write this post for you.

For those who have ever overeaten way too much candy at Halloween, and then felt bad  for doing so  – this is for you.

So this Halloween I want to make 2 main points.  And if you get them, I mean really get them, it can make a huge different in your life and in your waistline:

Restrictive Thinking


Sure Halloween comes around only once a year.  But the candy is around all year long.  It’s not like years ago when candy was a treat and only eaten on special occasions.  And let’s face it, you can buy a snack size Snickers, Kit Kat, Reece’s peanut butter cup, Twix, or any other candy bar any day of the year.

It’s not like “Oh my gosh, I HAVE to eat as much of this candy as I can as I don’t know when I can have it again.”  Let me tell you this and I personally give you permission:

You can eat candy any day of the year.

So get rid of this “restrictive thinking” that it’s a special occasion so I better eat up all the candy I want.  No.  Candy is candy and will be there any day of the year and any time you want it.  Period.

It’s Not the Candy that You Really Crave


When you overindulge in all of that candy, is it really the candy you’re aching for ~ or is it something else?  You see, years ago Halloween was a bumpy road for me.  It went either of two ways:

  •  I avoided the candy altogether — and praised myself for being ‘good’ or having great ‘willpower’ (and I secretly felt superior to others as I didn’t eat any of the candy.  I was a superhero!)

OR

  •  I ate one piece, then two, then felt guilty that I had eaten any candy.  So then a third.  Felt even more guilty and figured what the heck, might as well have another.  Then another.  And then felt REALLY bad.  You know how the story goes….

But what I now realize looking back is that it wasn’t really the candy I was craving.  I wasn’t craving something sweet to eat — I was craving for sweet in my life.  I was unhappy in some way (whether consciously or unconsciously).  I didn’t have a boyfriend, or my job was stressing me out, or I didn’t really enjoy my job, or I wasn’t happy with my living situation, or I felt stuck in my life.  Whatever it was, I was craving more from my life — not for sugar.

Sure, sugar can be addictive and the more we eat the more we crave.  But often when we look deeper it’s not really the chocolate we’re craving.  It’s not the sweetness.  It’s the sweetness in our life that we want.  But we reach for the sweet candy instead.  Let’s face it — it’s a heck of a lot easier to face the candy than it is to admit to ourselves and face the fact that something in our life is off.

Now it’s doesn’t have to mean you’re unhappy with something big in your life.  It could be something small.  Something subtle.  But the overeating of the candy is telling you that something is not right.  Something is not in alignment.

Bottom line


If you’re reading this and thinking “no, I really just want the candy” then you haven’t really gotten it yet.  And that’s okay.  My previous Halloween post is just for you.

But if this is striking a nerve with you, or maybe just making you think a bit, then you’re making progress.

So let me know ~~ do you often overindulge in Halloween candy?   And does all of the candy make you afraid of the holiday, or are you indifferent?

 

 

 

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Written October 27th, 2011 by
Categories: Blog, Emotional Eating
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Stuck In a Diet Rut? How to Easily Get Out of It

* Disclaimer:  I don’t like the word “diet” — but unfortunately it’s what most people trying to live a healthy lifestyle relate to.

Let’s face it — we’re creatures of habit and most often eat the same things over and over again.  And whether you’re trying to lose weight, maintain your healthy lifestyle, or have a healthy relationship with food, it can get pretty boring.

I know even for myself, though I’ve overcome my battle with dieting, poor body image, low self-esteem, and avoiding parties because I felt fat and like crap — and though I do lead an overall healthy lifestyle (chocolate included!) I sometimes find myself in a rut and not enjoying my food or exercise routine.

So What Causes This Rut?

Simply put:  Boredom.  Ourselves, our bodies, and our tastebuds get fed up.  They’re saying:  Another lunch of chicken breast, green beans and brown rice AGAIN?

In addition to just the overall boredom of our tastebuds — by eating the same foods over and over again your body may start missing out on some essential vitamins and nutrients.  So it could be your body’s way of saying “time to shake things up!”

Though strange as it may seem — sometimes I don’t even realize I’m in the rut.  Sometimes it’s the fact that I’ve gone to the candy jar 5 times today (yes, I do sometimes keep candy in my house) and still don’t feel satisfied.  Or it’s the fact that I haven’t wanted to go to the gym for the last 3 weeks, because if I get on that treadmill one more time I feel like I’m gonna lose it!

So here are some easy tips to help get you out of that rut and start feeling good again:

1)  Eat a new food — something you’ve never tried before — at least once this week.  Now when I say “food” I mean a whole food, not the newest version of Snickers with Almonds.  There’s an abundance of real, whole foods out there, but when we go grocery shopping we generally get the same old things.  Try something easy and basic.  Instead of green beans try butternut squash.   Instead of starting your meal with a salad — try an avocado (just cut it in half — so one half per person — add some salt, pepper and a bit of dressing on it and viola!)

2)  Eat something that’s in Season.  I love it when the seasons change as usually by the end of the season I’m tired of the same old things.  Now that Fall is here it’s time for things like squash, cauliflower, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, cranberries, and pomegranates — just to name a few.   So take a look what’s in season in your area, and usually when food is in season it’s cheaper too.

3)  Eat the same food, but prepared in a different way.  Always steam your green beans and just add butter and salt?  Add some blue cheese and walnuts to them instead.  Or maybe try adding some zest from an orange and sliced almonds.  Ditto for your meat or proteins — dig into some of the recipe books you have and try a new way of preparing chicken (try chicken thighs — they’re much cheaper and tastier than chicken breasts).   You might be surprised and find some new favorite recipes.  So do this once this week — prepare your favorite food in a different way.

4)  Try a new way to move your body (ie find a new way to exercise).  Always going for a walk, or doing those exercise DVD’s (maybe not!) or only go to the gym a few days a week?  Try something new!  Even if it’s just one day a week. Try swimming, biking, hiking, dancing, ice staking, yoga, pilates, zumba, kickboxing (you get the idea).  But make sure it’s something that’s FUN for you.  Not only will it help relieve the boredom but you might just find your body responds better by getting firmer (because when you do the same exercises over & over again your muscles aren’t  challenged anymore and could hinder any weight loss).

So getting out of the rut really is quite simple.  Sure it will take a bit of extra effort but it’s minimal and definitely worth it!  Some of my favorite foods are things I tried for the first time I went abroad, and then when I lived in France, and even some are new things I’ve tried within the last year or two.  And I’m always discovering something new.

So get out and try something new.  Your tastebuds and your body will thank you for it!

 

 

 

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Written October 20th, 2011 by
Categories: Blog, Nutrition, Weight Loss
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Halloween: 9 Tips to Conquer Your Candy Cravings

Remember being a kid and getting all excited about Halloween?  Deciding on who or what you wanted to dress up as, creating a costume, and being able to get all of that candy!!

Yet now as an adult, thoughts of all that candy is the scariest part of Halloween.  There’s just too much of it around and you don’t know how to conquer your candy cravings.

So here are some tips to help you tackle the holiday and manage all of those treats:

1)  Wait to buy the candy until the day of Halloween. Especially if candy is one of your trigger foods. Know yourself.  If keeping it around is going to be just too tempting, then wait until buying it.

2)  Don’t purchase your favorite candy. I know for me, it’s Snickers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (and Kit Kat, and M&M’s, and….okay…there’s a lot I do like!)  So buy a candy that’s not one of your faves.  Then it’s a lot easier to say no to and you’ll be less tempted to dig into the candy jar.

3)  Out of sight, out of mind. If you’ve already purchased the candy, keep it away in the cupboards where you can’t easily see it.  If every time I open the cupboard and the candy is staring me right in the face, it’s a lot easier to grab — even if I’m not hungry.  As Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating:  Why We Eat More Than We Think, says that he has found that the reason we eat mindlessly “has little to do with hunger.  It’s because we’re getting tricked and encouraged by our environment on a daily, even hourly basis…without even realizing it.”  (By the way, Wansink’s book is great and highly recommended!)

4)  Manage your hunger.  Make sure you eat healthy during the day before the Halloween festivities begin.  Don’t skimp on breakfast, lunch or dinner hoping to “save calories” for the candy.  You don’t want to be hungry while giving out the candy to the trick-or-treaters.  That just sets you up to overeat.  Get lots of protein, fruits and vegetables during the day so you can keep it all balanced.

5)  Get moving. If I get in a workout I’m much less tempted to go overboard with the candy.  Heck, I didn’t just sweat for 30-minutes for nothing!  But seriously, it’s not a thinking of “oh, I just worked out so I CAN eat candy.”  It’s more of “I just took the time to take CARE of my body and I want to continue feeling this way.”

6)  Realize that the whole idea of Halloween is a trick or TREAT.  Back in the day (geez I sound old) a treat was just that — a treat.  Something for a special occasion.  And having candy was one of those special things. It was not something eaten on a regular basis.  Now there is nothing wrong with candy.  But it should be considered a treat.  Something to be eaten from time to time.

7) Stop the deprivation mindset. Candy isn’t ONLY available at Halloween — you can have candy whenever you want!  It’s not something in unlimited supply that won’t be there.  I find for many people this “restricted” thinking makes you WANT to binge or overeat.  Candy isn’t going anywhere (the food companies will make sure of that!).  So hey, if you don’t eat a few mini Snickers on Halloween, no big deal.  You can eat Snickers anytime you darn well please.

8 ) Focus on the fun, not the candy. Remember that Halloween is (mostly) for kids.  Sure, as adults we still go to Halloween parties and dress up — that’s the fun part!  Getting all dressed up and enjoying the festivities.  The focus on Halloween isn’t about the candy (though the candy companies will have you thinking differently).  Just like when you were a kid — it was just as exciting dressing up, going outside (after dark!) and playing a character for an evening.  Sure, the candy was great too, but that wasn’t the only reason Halloween was fun.  Get back to the kid-side of yourself and remember and partake in the fun.

9)  Don’t restrict. Don’t fool yourself by thinking you won’t eat any candy during Halloween.  Go ahead — have some!  But really enjoy it.  Don’t stuff yourself.  Take one piece, and really enjoy it.  Eat it slow.  Feel the chocolate in your mouth and savor it.  Treat it like a treat — something to be enjoyed, savored and delighted.  Not overdone.

So don’t let candy haunt your diet.  Remember to know yourself (like if candy is a trigger food for you) and nothing in excess — and you’ll be on your way to enjoying Halloween without the guilt.

Want even more tips and information on how to stop the holiday belly bulge, keep the weight off, and not overindulge this holiday season?  Then sign-up to get FREE weekly tips on how to Eat Without Guilt so you take control of your eating and your life…once and for all.



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Written October 28th, 2010 by
Categories: Blog, Emotional Eating, Weight Loss
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