For many of us on a healthier path, the holidays can bring up some anxiety. We've been dutifully tracking our food and activity, and seeing results but with a holiday weekend coming up, we're feeling a little nervous about what might happen. What if being at home, with all that delicious food and drink derails even our best attempts at staying on track?
Here are some tips to get maximum enjoyment out of your holiday weekend, while still staying within your SmartPoints budget.
Be happy
When you’re happy, you make better decisions – especially when it comes to food. But for many of us, spending extended time with family can take us back to a familiar place that might not always house positive memories. If that's the case with you, just try to do your best. Whether you’re going to a relative’s or hosting people at your home, put on a nice outfit and think thoughts that empower you and make you feel good.
Avoid blood sugar crashes
One sure way to feel more in-control of what you eat is to keep your blood sugar stable. Many of us think, “I want to really want to save room for the big meal later, so I’m not going to eat much all day.” Have you ever done this? Although hoarding SmartPoints seems like a great idea in the morning, it can set you up for trouble later in the day. Not eating enough (especially protein) can set us up for feeling hangry (y'know, that feeling you get when you’re so hungry that you become angry?) Feeling hangry, also known as low blood sugar, can make us eat whatever is in front of us. To top it off, when this happens, we usually eat more food than we normally would. So eat as you normally would before the big meal.
The holiday spread
Studies have shown that variety makes us eat more. So that big holiday spread can actually cause you to overeat, because you want to try a little of everything! Before putting anything on your plate, carefully look at everything at the table and decide what you would like to eat the most. Keep it to three or four selections. If you come across something rich that you don’t absolutely love, why spend the SmartPoints on it? Take moderate portions of your favourite foods and fill the rest of your plate with 0 SmartPoints veggies. Do the same thing with dessert. Are your aunt’s chocolate chip cookies heavenly? Then enjoy them and maybe pass on the store-bought pie. Whichever you choose, enjoy every single bite!