How to eat less: 3 Unconventional things to avoid holiday weight gain.
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Eat less.
Boring but true.
AND easier said then done. You know you have to eat less to produce weight loss. Talk to anybody on the street and ask them: How can people lose weight?
“ Eat less! Exercise! Eat Fruits! Eat Vegetables! ….”. These are tried-and-true ways, but have they stopped working for you? Here are some not-so-common strategies that have been successfully implemented to help you lose weight, by managing your thoughts, emotions and actions.
My short list of unconventional ways to manage overeating through the coming holidays
Take a bath: The stress body connection is many times overlooked when managing weight. When we are stressed we look for comfort to calm ourselves. Carbohydrates are the feel-good foods. Come on, have you never come home from work and felt like a truck drove over you? Instead of food, try taking a bath first before eating. Light a candle and place it on the side of the tub. Add some oils or teas to the water for smoother skin and soothed nerves. Calm your thoughts; collect yourself. Then after your bath, sit down and eat. You will be much more tune with yourself and be able to stop when you had enough.
Time required: 10 minutes.
Cut out TV: Stop watching the news. Particularly at night. I did this; and I do not miss it at all! Somebody got killed, somebody is cheating, the latest natural disasters, predictions that we will all be poor as the economy crashes, … the list goes on. Neither do I watch TV unless it is educational. Pay attention to the emotions that are created within you when you watch TV. The news, a comedy, a drama or a movie. What effect do they have on you? Do they impact your emotions? If you feel depressed or sad as you watch, the chances increase that you will reach for the additional chocolate, chips or glass of wine. Cut out the TV for one week and see how your eating at night improves.
Time required: 0 minutes
Read up on human biology: It comes down to the science. What are enzymes? What do they do? How do they effect your body? Your digestion? Your metabolism? There is so much to know about the human biology and the metabolism. Do not pick up a diet book, please. Stick to science. The New Optimum Nutrition Bible
Time required: 5 minutes for one page a day.
Get a daily dose of self-care: Many times, this is not on the list of main courses or even dessert. Look at you life: Is it run, run, and run? On an agenda to get or keep going? Everyone else is first but not you? Listen, if you don’t take care of yourself nobody else will do it. The fact is, only you can prevent health disasters, which can come from over -eating, not exercising, not eating at all, ….you know what I am talking about. Stop the self-abuse and be kind to yourself. Listen to your messages from your body. Heed your inner voices to stop when you have to stop.
Time required: 24 hours a day.
These are not “one size fits all” approaches. Try one; see if it works for you. If not, try another. The suggestions presented above have worked very successfully for some of my client. Give them a try.
At the end of the day, I want you to take care of yourself on a physical, emotional and nutritional level.
Stay focused during the holidays.
Stefan
