A few weeks ago, I made brownies for a women’s meeting. I carefully cut off the edges along the side of the pan, then cut the brownies into small squares.
But while I was doing this, I ate one of the edge pieces, then another, and a few more. [Read more…]
When you face tempting holiday foods or snacks, practice giving yourself a firm message:
DON’T EVEN START!
In your mind, use a strong, parental tone of voice, and repeat this phrase until you feel totally in control around the food.
By avoiding that first bite, you’ll prevent the taste trigger from even getting started. [Read more…]
When you eat fast, you are more likely to overeat.
Here are two great ways to slow down your pace of eating.
1. At holiday gatherings, set a goal of finishing your meal at the same time as the slowest person at the table.
This is especially challenging when there’s a two-year old at your meal.
2. At the start of your meal, set a timer or the alarm on your watch for 20 minutes.
Pace yourself (even if you’re only eating a sandwich) so you will be finishing the last bite of your food when the time is up.
For a simple but effective way to manage holiday meals, use the half-off special.
That simply means eat half as much as you normally would or half of what you actually want.
For example, scoop up a bunch of mashed potatoes, then put half of it back.
Picture the amount of dressing or green bean casserole you’d really like, then only take half that much.
Cut a piece of pie in half, then savor and appreciate the flavors. Remind yourself that you’ve gotten what you need from the food, so you don’t need to reach for another piece.
It’s so tempting to try and eat less during the day in order to save up some calories for an evening meal or event.
But in reality, this usually backfires.
When you don’t get enough fuel during the day, you’re at risk of getting way too hungry and overeating at the evening meal.
So even on days when you have a big, special event, don’t cut way back on calories or skip any of your regular meals.
By keeping your body in a healthy balance during the day, you’ll have a better chance of staying with your goals in the evening.