My #1 Holiday Diet Tip!

This should not come as a surprise. It’s not that exciting, and rather simple. Your holidays don’t deserve to be tortured with thoughts of how to stay on your diet and or eat “perfectly.”

So here it goes…Stop Dieting!

I asked my husband what I could write about that may be informative or helpful to people as we approach this holiday season, since it’s coming in quickly, right on the heels of all the Halloween candy. He suggested some “diet tips” to help people eat healthy and avoid unwanted weight gain through all the parties, dinners, and break-room table spreads. I couldn’t help but sigh…thinking same old, same old, diet culture info here we come. Is anyone else sick of the repeated “tips to eat healthy through the holidays” or is it just me? So doing what I normally do with his advice, I didn’t take it. I decided to reinforce the importance of the UN-diet!

“Diets” and the “diet” culture have done nothing for us. The most recent stats from the CDC show that almost 40% of adult Americans are obese and the numbers continue to climb. “Diet” culture and the “diet” industry has not fixed anything. They’ve just gotten rich, and more people gained weight. Frankly, if we did have a “diet” that worked then we would be done with all the “diets” already, and obesity would be declining. (*Of course, I am not talking about healthy meal patterns, like the Mediterranean diet, that have shown to support health.)

Let this NOT be the “Holiday Diet Tips” season, which is usually followed by “New Years Weight Loss Resolution” season. We shouldn’t eat too much differently most days from Thanksgiving to New Years Day, outside of a few, big dinners, or a few of those fun holiday parties with colorful drinks and appetizers. We should just eat. Eat well, with those we love, to safely nourish and fuel our bodies. I love the holiday season, too, but we don’t have to let “diet” culture ruin this time of the year for us, either! If you eat more or differently a few (or more) days the next couple months, it’s fine. Enjoy the meal! Enjoy the party! It’s not what you eat on one or even several days that matters; it’s what you routinely eat throughout your life!

Ok, yes I’m sure you’re thinking I don’t want to “eat well”; I want to lose or at least not gain anymore extra weight than I already have. So how do you try to lose weight or at least not gain weight and not be on a diet? You eat less calories.* Then you add in activity and strength training for metabolic support and physical health (research shows this helps people keep weight off more than lose weight!)

So easy, right? Ha. Not exactly. Again, if that were easy we’d be done with this conversation already.

*Here’s the deal:

*The food industry is trying to make oh so tasty food products that we can’t resist it - and spend our money on it, of course! It’s not just you, it’s them. Enticing us to buy their processed foods that are intensely tasty, but usually less healthy. Choosing to not routinely buy and eat these foods, including foods on the go or at restaurants, takes effort!

*Then our body tries to fight us in our efforts - as it should - all of sudden it’s not getting the same amount of energy it has always gotten (so up go those hunger hormones and cravings!). Again, you’re going to need a strategy to get through this part.

*To top it off, even if we can eat less, as our body shrinks, we need to eat even less calories to keep losing weight (think the amount of gas to fill the tank of a smart car vs a cargo van).

So, again, how do you eat less calories without feeling like your starving, and then keep that going? Ah, yes, this is the sweet spot to actually lose weight or not gain weight:

#1 (remember tip from above!): Don’t Go on a “Diet”! (Holidays don’t go on diets, either.) They don’t work, especially for the long haul. A healthy “diet” shouldn’t make you go broke or crazy. It is a healthier way of eating for your health.

#2 Eat foods that really nourish your body - EVERY MEAL, EVERY DAY! Foods that are not or minimally processed (mostly whole like the way nature intended - think vegetables, fruit, fresh fish, meat, nuts, beans, seeds, whole grains) keep your body - and mind - satisfied much longer than processed, refined foods. These foods come with a variety of complex carbs, protein, heart healthy fats, and bulky fiber to nourish your body and keep you feeling fuller, longer. Even your teeny, tiny cells throughout your body will be nourished, too, and the positive health impact can be seen all throughout your body and mind.

#3 Establish some goals or boundaries that keep you focused on feeding yourself well to have a healthy body. This is NOT a diet, but a positive intention - a focus, positive thinking and imagining, planning, redirecting. If you have eating habits that you know are leading to negative effects on your body (like extra body fat), you can work toward changing those habits - e.g. instead of an after-work, half a bag of chips, eat an apple with peanut butter; or instead of drinking 2 or 3 sugar laden drinks at a party, switch to no sugar added drinks. Again, not a calorie counting diet, but a switch to more wholesome foods.

#4 But still eat what you really want! Again, boundaries! At the party or the dinner, try to be mindful of eating what you want, ALONG with choosing nourishing, wholesome foods to feed your body and your mind well. Slow it down and enjoy. These are loaded suggestions (you really want me to eat what I want?), but taking the time to be thoughtful about what you’re eating will help you remember those good intentions and actions for eating well. But hey, if you want the cookie, eat the cookie - enjoy it, actually! Especially if it’s a cute, homemade cookie!

So obviously there can be work (and maybe more for some than others) that goes into making the actual food, dietary, meal, snack, party, etc changes, that in turn help improve or maintain your health status. Everyone has their own personal story to navigate through. Yes, I am a Dietitian that practices nutrition counseling, but I truly believe in the power of reliable education, safe support, and gentle guidance to make healthy changes become lifelong habits. Find the time to sit down and navigate your story and your plan to make the changes you want to see in your habits and yourself. You’re worth it! ALL YEAR LONG!

But this holiday season, look past the seasonal “diet culture” info. Whether you go to none or ton of holiday parties…feed yourself well everyday, and have fun, too! You’re not on a “DIET,” you’re on a JOURNEY!

~~Bridget