I find it’s often black and white thinking combined with a deprivation mindset that drives people to overindulge. It certainly is what drove mine. Often, the idea that these goodies are special or that the holidays come only once a year, so you better eat up, is often at the heart of this thinking.
When faced with lots of tempting choices at a party, it’s ok to take a bite or two of something and then toss it. I find that a bite or two satisfies my curiosity about something and I don’t feel deprived. If I find something that is extra delicious then I may choose to focus on that particular thing and eat less of other
things.
If you have a diet mentality, then you’ve probably got foods in good and bad categories. If you have a cookie at a party or during the day, you might tell yourself you’ve blown it so you might as well eat 4-5 more, what the heck!
The truth is you can start over anytime. A day is never blown because of a cookie or dessert; you can always make up for it at the next meal or over the course of 24 hours.
Enjoying holiday treats is a wonderful part of the holidays and doesn’t need to be avoided. It’s good to have a game plan and part of that is making smart choices. Figure out what holiday treats mean the most to you and then plan on having them in moderate amounts. By doing this, it’s easier to pass up other less enjoyable holiday treats.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season,
Catherine
Catherine L. Taylor
