Create New Holiday Traditions
Replace Behavior of Overeating with Fun Activites to Fend off Holiday Weight Gain
Dec 5, 2006
Food and the holidays are synonymous for some people. The smell of cupcakes, pumpkin pie, oven-roasted turkey and freshly baked bread makes us feel warm and fuzzy. It also reminds us of Christmas’s of the past. We try to re-create those memories with food. But taking in these foods in large quantities will make you gain weight and divert you from your weight loss program.
One idea to control your holiday eating and fend off the typical holiday weight gain is to separate food from the holidays. You can have a great time without overdoing it on the food (and it doesn’t mean wiring your mouth shut either!) Cutting the food out alone isn’t going to help though. That will leave you feeling deprived and the whole plan make backfire on you, causing you to eat even more for emotional reasons.
First, you still need to eat. Cutting back by just 100-200 calories per day will help you manage your weight. Just watch out for the all day munching that can really add up if you aren’t careful. But you also need to replace the behavior if you want to successfully ditch the habit of overeating. Try some activities that do not revolve around food.
Ideas for New Family Traditions on the Holidays:
- Play family board games.
- Write letters to each other and save them to open the following year.
- Make Christmas tree ornaments instead of cookies.
- Donate to families less fortunate than yours.
- Volunteer your time at a soup kitchen.
- Sing Christmas carols.
- Tell stories or share your favorite Christmas memories.
- Watch classic Christmas movies.
- Go to midnight mass.
- Read Christmas stories.
- Make a small Christmas village display.
- Make pine cone bird feeders.
- Put together a family scrapbook.
- Go for a drive and look for elaborate Christmas decoration displays.
Whatever you choose to do this holiday season, the importance should remain on the quality time spent with your family. With a little creativity, you can have a memorable Christmas without overdosing on cookies and candy canes.
