Holiday Season Ups and Downs

Posted: Dec 13 in Uncategorized by Dr. Lazarus

Thanksgiving has passed and the next set of holidays is right around the corner. What better time to learn from our successes and/or mistakes.
How did your Thanksgiving go? Did you have a plan? Did you stick with it? Did you feel successful, or did it feel like a big failure? I think it is helpful to reflect on how we did to empower us to do even better! I like to be concrete, so have developed the following scoring system:

5) I did GREAT! I had a plan. I stuck with it. I didn’t feel stuffed.
4) I did GOOD. I had a plan and mostly stuck with it, but felt like I overate anyway.
3) I did OKAY. I sort of had a plan, but am not sure how well I stuck with it.
2) I didn’t do great. I didn’t really have a plan – I just tried to control my eating, but that didn’t go so well.
1) I did POORLY. I didn’t have a plan. I ate so much I felt ill.

Based on this scoring system how did you do? Let’s use it to plan for Holiday parties, family dinners, evenings out, office treats, New Years and other upcoming events this holiday season! So, based on this scoring system, I suggest the following. If you scored a:

5) GOOD JOB! Congratulations! Repeat for the upcoming events.

4) Again, GOOD JOB! But, how can we improve from a 4 to a 5? Notice the main difference here is sticking to a plan and not overeating vs. trying to stick with the plan and overeating anyway. A good rule of thumb here is to remember the “2 bites” rule – the first bite or two of everything tastes the BEST, especially desserts! So, enjoy a bite or two, but you don’t have to finish everything on the plate!

3) Let’s set a goal of improving to a 4. The main thing to work on here is to have a STRATEGY. For example: don’t skip meals the day of the holiday – eat a reasonable breakfast and lunch and the usual healthy snacks. In fact, consider a protein drink or bar on your way to the evening event so you don’t arrive starving. At the event, eat proteins and vegetables FIRST, avoid second portions, and stick to the 2-bite rule for desserts. Remember to write your plan down, review it, and adjust from holiday to holiday.

2) If you scored a 2, you are proving that “trying to eat less” doesn’t usually work. We need a structured plan so we are not starving and eating everything in sight when we show up at the party. We highly recommend setting up a visit with your dietitian at CNC to start developing holiday eating strategies.

1) If we can’t stay in control during holidays, it will be hard to keep weight off. It seems like every week there is another birthday party, holiday, work event, dinner with friends, a night at a restaurant, etc. Only by developing lifestyle strategies will we find success with long-term weight control. We need to find a way to improve at least to a 3, hopefully before the next set of holidays! If you scored a 1, this is the danger zone!

Take action now to have a plan in place to prevent regain. Call us today at 303-750-9454 to set up a visit.
Also, remember – fatigue is our worst enemy when it comes to sticking with our plan. Get a GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP the night before any holiday or event! When we’re tired, willpower goes out the window. And finally, remember NOT to start the evening with alcohol! Alcohol can dissolve the most well-intentioned plan! Save the alcohol for DESSERT!
As always, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season, and a fabulous new year.