Making it through the holidays

One of the main reasons we gain weight over the holidays is due to all of the dang food available. I have a knack for the obvious, right? Stay with me -

If you are concerned about gaining weight over the holidays, I challenge you to concentrate on just one thing: eat only what you really like, and if you really like it, pay attention while you are eating so that you can actually enjoy it!

There are so many mindless eating (and drinking!) opportunities during the holidays: the candy sitting out at the receptionist desk, cookies brought in by co-workers, fruit cake delivered to your door (maybe this is a lost tradition - I've never actually had this happen, but I hear that it used to happen to everyone), uncomfortable parties where you need to keep busy by eating and drinking, and so on.

This is a great month to practice these steps - before you eat anything, ask yourself if you actually want it. If not, take a pass. You can always come back to it later. After you start eating something, ask yourself if you really like it. If it doesn't taste great, why waste the calories? Save them for something fantastic.

And of course, we come to the question - what about nutrition? "If I eat only what I like, I'll only eat brownies" - if this is you, then think of this as baby step number one out of the diet mentality - you may want to read my earlier posts on the diet mentality.

Now that we are all eating only what we like, is anyone actually going to eat fruit cake?

Slacker Golden Rule #4

You must move your body.

It simply is not possible to be healthy without movement. Exercise has been linked to literally every aspect of health - weight, mood, sleep patterns, cognition, memory, bone health, heart health, and on and on.

Now. I must admit that I fall off the exercise wagon once in awhile. OK, a lot. A body at rest stays at rest, right? It's the momentum that kills me - just getting myself up and moving is usually the hardest part. One thing that helps to motivate me is to try and remember the feeling I get after I've done the exercise - a good workout literally makes my body hum. I feel the blood moving through me, my brain feels clearer, and I feel - skinnier.

The good news is that you don't have to run a marathon if you don't want to. One of the reasons other cultures don't have a weight problem is their tendency to simply walk. Build that tendency in yourself - go for walks. Or a bike ride. Or a swim. Or .... just get moving a little bit.

The only way out of it is through it

One of the hardest messages to deliver to people, as a nutritionist, is this one of "Eat only what you like". The idea that unhealthy food tastes good and healthy food tastes bad is deeply entrenched in our culture, I'm afraid, so that some people think this is reckless advice.

I strongly believe that before people can come to enjoy healthy food and eat right for their own body, they first have to get out of the diet mentality thinking. As long as you eat with an internal struggle going on of "good" vs. "bad", "healthy" vs. "unhealthy", you will never be able to appreciate healthy food because there will always be a certain amount of resentment there; you will be pining away for what you're missing out on, because you're forced to eat healthy.

The only way out of it is through it, and some people may have a time of gluttony as they allow themselves to truly eat what they want. But, on the other side of the diet mentality is the ability and desire to balance. And, as you feel better about yourself and your relationship with food, you're able to start to really appreciate the goodness that is in, say, a sweet potato. Eating healthy is no longer punishment, it's living well.

But what about nutrition?

Another problem people have with the rule of eating only what they like, is that they assume they will never eat a healthy food again if they truly allow themselves to follow the advice.

What I have found is that as people get away from the diet mentality, and stop labeling foods as "good" or "bad", they find they have a fondness for all kinds of food. Rich chocolate cake and super sweet apples. Broccoli with garlic and tiramisu. And, they find that they were eating some things that they really didn't love - maybe they realize that they don't actually like the french fries from Burger King, for example. Or, maybe they realize that they are burned out on boneless, skinless chicken breast for dinner.

It is a leap of faith to allow our tastes to dictate what we eat. However, as you learn more about food and nutrition, you become naturally more interested in trying healthier foods. Some foods we like right away, and some foods we develop a taste for, as we learn more about them.

Also, as we learn to eat only what we like, we end up being satisfied with a smaller amount. Diving into that perfect piece of key lime pie is decadent and satisfying - until about the fourth bite or so. We start enjoying it less, feeling more full, and we have no problem stopping. Wrap it up, waiter - I'll have the rest tomorrow!

You mean eat ONLY what I like?

When someone is caught up in the diet mentality, one of the hardest things to convince them is that it's really better in the long run to eat only what you like to eat. We are a nation that believes that healthy food is no fun and doesn't taste as good as unhealthy food, and that the only food we really like is junk food.

Let me give two personal examples. One day, I found myself eating Tootsie Rolls because they were available at the office, and I was needing.... something. Rest, a break, a conversation, whatever. So, I was "rewarding" myself with Tootsie Rolls. Then, I realized - I don't really like Tootsie Rolls. I mean, they're ok, and I kind of get why some people love them - but I don't. And, in turn, they really weren't scratching whatever itch I was trying to get at.

My other example is from the healthier side. I had made chicken for dinner, and it turned out pretty bland. It occurred to me that my yummy Emeril's honey mustard would help out, but I was too busy powering through my dinner to get up and find the sauce. So, I just "made do" with my bland chicken. When I was finished with my dinner, I was full - but I was not satisfied. I still craved... something.

When we force ourself to eat something we really don't like, we will always keep craving. And when we eat whatever junk crosses our path as a "reward", we'll still keep craving. It's that simple.

Try it - pay attention to what you are eating, and ask yourself if you really like it. If the answer is no, you know what to do!

Slacker Golden Rule #3

Commit to building small, healthy habits.

Once you are comfortable eating only when you are hungry and stopping when you are full (Golden Rule #1), and you've given yourself permission to eat what you like and to eat only what you like (Golden Rule #2), it's time to move on to building healthy habits. Which habits you work on will depend on you - there are plenty to choose from, and they all can make a difference. Here's a list of possibilities:

- eat breakfast every day
- eat fruits and/or veggies at every meal
- snack on fruits and veggies
- drink a lot of water
- drink less soda
- move your body every day
- eat together as a family more often
- eat more home-prepared meals
- add more fiber to your meals
- take a multivitamin every day
- take a calcium supplement, especially if you’re not a milk drinker
- stop smoking
- build muscles with weight training or resistance training
- sit down to eat
- avoid eating in the car
- eat out less often
- eat a variety of food, from all of the food groups
- avoid “grazing”
- avoid eating in front of the TV
- try new recipes
- cut down on salt
- other? ________________________________

The point is to keep challenging yourself to take just a little bit better care of yourself than you did yesterday; you deserve it!

Slacker Golden Rule #2

Only eat what you like.

I know, you're thinking I'm crazy telling you to eat only what you like. You think that if you follow this advice, you won't even need a refrigerator because the only food you really like is ice cream. Well, that may be true for a little while - as your body (and mind) detoxes off of the diet mentality, your little rebel inside is going to demand ice cream and brownies and (insert your fave food here). But, trust me - after the novelty wears off and you've given in to your little inner sweets demon, you will start to crave.... something healthier. And now, we are getting back to normal.

Think about those truly intuitive eaters you have encountered in your life. It may be the annoying skinny person in your family that eats anything and everything. Or, you may need to think of a small child you have spent time with. The intuitive eater eats what they like - but is usually satisfied with a small amount of it. Once the initial "YUM" wears off from the first two bites, the intuitive eater is completely satisfied to sit back with a big sigh and say "I'm full". On the contrary, the person with the diet mentality will inhale the chocolate mousse, because why stop now when we've already broken the diet.

Give it a try - see how liberating it is to not pay attention to any of the diet advice out there and just get in tune with what we actually like to eat; just as importantly, if you don't like it - you guessed it - don't eat it. Ahhhh, freedom.

Slacker Golden Rule #1

Always honor your hunger!

You know, the vast majority of us were given a key at birth to achieve life-long weight control. It's your hunger cues.

Imagine a small baby. He's hungry - and he's going to let you know about it. Ignore him, and he gets louder and more frantic. Feed him, and he happily eats until... he's not hungry anymore. Then, when you try to feed him, he turns his head or spits out the nipple. Having trouble imagining a baby? Here - use mine:

Now, imagine that baby growing up and always eating this way - when he's hungry, he eats; when he's full, he stops; when he's not hungry, he simply does not eat. Do you think he would develop a weight problem?

We are taught in so many ways not to honor our hunger - we're taught to clean our plates, taught to eat because the clock says it's time, taught to deprive our hunger when we go on a diet, and on and on. Just for today, pay close attention to your hunger. How well are you honoring it?