Tips to Keep You from Overindulging at a Party
You may need a few tips on navigating those holiday gatherings tips to help keep you from overindulging. When we eat and socialize, our tendency is to pay less attention to what we are eating and drinking. Before you know it, you’ve eaten an entire day’s worth of food at one party. I want to help you to be more mindful of what you’re eating, and to not experience a setback in your fitness, but still be social, and enjoy time with friends, family and mindfully eat delicious foods!
14 Tips to keep you from overindulging:
Wait it out. Don’t start eating right away as soon as you arrive at the party. Once you start it can be tough to stop. Grab a glass of water. Find someone to chat with. Park yourself away from the munchies. Ask the host if you can help with something. Give yourself a time, “I will allow myself to eat between 6:00 and 6:30” and stick to it.
Limit alcohol or refuse to drink. Let’s be honest, alcohol is typically the start of numerous poor decisions. Decide exactly how much you’ll drink ahead of time and tell someone. Drink water between your first and second if you are having more than one. Try a mocktail and offer to be your group’s designated driver.
Eat veggies and drink water before you go. This will send the signal from your brain to your belly that you are full faster. Now you just have to pay attention to it! Walk away from those bacon-wrapped dates, sister.
Treat appetizers as your meal. Just because you ate only “finger foods” at the party, doesn’t mean it didn’t count! Don’t plan on going home after eating a meal of appetizers to eat a another full meal. Check in with your fullness level, and if you’re good, let those apps be your meal.
Survey the spread first. Pick your one or two items that you want to indulge on and let that be it. I’m sure they all look terrific, but you don’t need to sample all 14 desserts being offered. If you want to try multiple desserts, share a plate with someone or just get a spoonful to taste the ones that are irresistible.
Fill half your plate with veggies first. Then you’ll have less room for sub-optimal choices. And if you eat the veggies first, you will feel full faster too. If you are still hungry and you do go back for seconds, go back for more veggies first. You may end up eating a more colorful plate than you would have at home! Bonus!
Have a “one plate” rule. And when your plate is empty, throw it away, remind yourself you are done, and walk to another room or outside. If you decide you need more, then make certain to wait at least 20 minutes before going back for more. Check in with your hunger; you may realize you don’t need more after all!
Share your dessert with someone. Because, obviously, chocolate brownies are better shared! And because sugar can be one’s downfall, the pleasure reward just tells you that you want more sugar. Be like “What about Bob?” and really fully taste each bite and savor it.
Bring a healthy dish to share. At least you know you will have at least one healthy option! And if it’s veggies, fill half your plate.
Don’t stand and graze beside the table. Distract yourself with conversation in a room away from the food. Notice where you are and be intentional about locating yourself out of arm’s reach of the delicious Chex mix. Some call it “Trash” others call it “Crack crackers” but I call it hard to stop eating!
Feeling anxious my introverted friend? Go outside and take some deep breaths rather than stress eat. Inhale through your nose for 8 counts, hold for 8 counts, exhale like blowing through a straw for 8 counts. This will get you back into your parasympathetic nervous system where you feel more relaxed and in control, and can make better decisions.
Arrive late. By this point the other party goers may have eaten all the fondue and there won’t be any left to tempt you. Doubt it! But it may not be as fresh and appealing. Plus, arriving late gives you a smaller window of time to eat yourself silly.
Keep track of what you’ve eaten. Start typing into your notes on your phone what you eat at the party to be will be keenly aware of the amount of food you’ve had. If this feels unkind to yourself, don’t do it. If it feels like a helpful tool, try it.
Don’t sweat it! Don’t berate yourself if you didn’t follow your plan to a “T”. Know that you always have your BCB class tomorrow and you can burn it off. You can lift some weights, walk the dog, get plenty of sleep, meditate, and love yourself anyway. You’ve got this!
Don’t let holiday parties and gatherings make-or-break your fitness goals. If you gain a little weight, that is OK! Just mentally forgive yourself and move on and get back to moving your body. Tell yourself you had a great time, you enjoyed every bite, and you’re completely worthy of indulging sometimes. The most important thing is to love yourself no matter what!
