It's Christmas break. If you're home for the holidays and you're anything like me, your life has pretty much been one giant meal ever since you walked in the door. You raid your family's pantry.
At restaurants, you order two meals, because your parents are paying. At Christmas dinner, you pile the plate up, because "it's just once a year." Before you know it, even your leggings don't fit so well anymore. You're officially a Christmas beluga whale.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge proponent for self-love and body acceptance. I don't support crash diets or even diets in general, and if you want to come back to school in January looking like a new you that ate the old you, I fully support your choice. More power to you.
It's the holidays, and I think you should spend them being happy, and that includes eating the foods you love. Here are just some basic tips that we should all stick to during the holiday season.
1. Chew slowly
This is something you can do so easily and doesn't really require much effort. When you eat quickly, you consume a lot of food, and suddenly, that "if I eat any more, I will die" feeling hits. If you take your time chewing, that feeling will be much more gradual, and you can stop eating before it's too much.
2. Avoid wearing sweatpants
The biggest factor in me not eating like a pubescent grizzly bear about to hibernate is wearing fitted clothing. When I'm wearing tight clothes and eating a lot, they get a lot tighter really fast, and that's not comfortable, so I stop eating. If you wear loose clothing at the table, you will be under the illusion that you aren't full, and you will continue eating. Wear tight things. Stop eating.
3. Go for a post-meal walk
After you eat, kickstart your metabolism by going for a walk. This will burn calories and also aid in the digestion process. I know after I eat a big meal, I usually want to roll around my bed and whine about how I'll never be a Victoria's Secret Angel. Don't do that. Go for a walk. Walks are great because they benefit your body, and you get to spend quality time with yourself contemplating your life choices.
4. Pile your plate with more veggies, less carbs
While it is Christmas, and I believe you should eat mashed potatoes and stuffing, try to fill yourself up on vegetable dishes before you move to the more starchy foods. Most vegetables at the table aren't going to be super good for you, but things like green beans and deviled eggs are definitely a better option than corn bread or pie.
5. Avoid snacking during the afternoon
I've always thought the long break between lunch and dinner is a bit ridiculous. I mean, between breakfast and lunch, you usually have three hours or so, but then between lunch and dinner, you have at least six. That's just craziness. When I'm home, I usually find myself hitting up the fridge multiple times in the afternoon, not because I'm hungry, but because I am bored. This is bad. It's natural to get hungry between meals, but fix a light snack and move on. Allow yourself to actually be hungry for dinner.
Obviously, enjoying family time and the holiday season is far more important than maintaining your spring break bod. Don't be that girl who refuses to eat any of her mom's legendary pumpkin pie because she's worried she's going to gain wait. No one likes that girl. Instead, just be aware of what you're eating and how active you are being over the break.
As long as you eat in moderation, you will not become a beluga over a three week period. Enjoy yourself and love yourself this Christmas. Please enjoy the video below as my message to you all.
