Waking up to the smell of a breakfast casserole paired with cinnamon rolls and a side of donuts, it’s easy to pack on extra pounds over the holidays. In the moment, feelings of warmth and comfort coincide with every bite. These feelings are undoubtedly replaced with angst and disgust with the realization that our waistline is beginning to reflect the poor choices we made days or weeks earlier.
What are we to do? Should we not partake in any mulled wine, pecan pie or Christmas cookies? Would it be better to forgo the holiday season altogether? Perhaps we should carry a portable treadmill wherever we go so we can burn off any excess calories we’ll inevitably consume.
Seeing as none of these are viable options, allow me to provide a few easy alternatives.
- Everything in Moderation
- Have a Plan
- Stick to Your Routine
Everything in Moderation
Everyone has vices. One of mine is the Chick Fil A nugget tray. Seeing all of those delicious bite sized nuggets strewn out before me, eating every piece of chicken on that tray seems not only possible but probable. Fried chicken has long been my favorite meal. These perfectly seasoned poultry delights set off levels of serotonin that I haven’t experienced since childhood. In other words, they’re really, really good.
Rather than giving in to my base desires and eating the entire nugget tray, I place a few of them on my plate at a time. Stacking that same plate with vegetables or something healthier than a piece of fried chicken allows me the satisfaction of getting what I want in moderation. You can use this same tactic prior to slicing into a second piece of pie, eating a third cookie or opening a second bottle of wine. Enjoy what you’re eating and drinking, just enjoy less of it.
Have a Plan
It can be annoying getting older. At one time, everything I owned could fit into my car, as exemplified by how many times I moved during my college years. Several U Hauls and weeks of preparation would now be required to complete the task. The same can be said of holiday gatherings.
Showing up, eating and drinking what you want and expecting to wake up the next day with no negative repercussions is no longer realistic. This is especially true for anyone over the age of forty. Planning is now required. Having a plan on how much you’re going to eat and drink will ease your mind and essentially save yourself from yourself. There’s nothing worse than dealing with a hangover or bloated belly in what should be a time of revelry and rejoicing among friends and family.
Stick to Your Routine
A huge mistake made by most people is to completely change their routine during the holidays. If you normally wake up and go for a walk or run, why would you stop now? If anything, it would make sense to exercise more considering your increased levels of consumption and general lethargy compared to any other time of the year.
The concept of sticking to a routine only makes sense when considering healthy options. If your routine involves waking up to a cigarette with your morning coffee, the holidays are a perfect time to reconsider your life choices. The point is, straying from the positive choices we make every other day of the year shouldn’t be cast aside in favor of laziness and overconsumption.
Perhaps I should consider eating Chick Fil A nuggets as part of my daily routine.
That way, I wouldn’t have to change a thing.
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