Thanksgiving has come and gone, and if you are like most people, you made it through without too much damage to the waistline, largely thanks to the fact that there are only a small number of opportunities to make a complete glutton of yourself. But even though Turkey Day was days ago, and Hanukkah is almost done, the majority of us are trying to figure out how not to go completely out of control for the next month.
So what’s a health conscious person supposed to do if they don’t want to be a party pooper but they also don’t want to feel like Mr. Creosote from Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life at every party? Fortunately, there are a few options. Chef Caleb outlined some great tactics in his recent blog post, 11 Practical Tips for Staying Paleo for the Holidays. All of them are great, especially in the context of individual events. But as Chef Caleb Says “Thanksgiving is one day. Christmas is 12. There’s even a song about it”. Every day, there are new situations to test your resolve. How do you manage?
1) Decide which events are worth the indulgence. Notice I said events, not foods. Why choose it based on event? Because this results in fewer decisions overall, which means fewer opportunities for your willpower to be taxed. By saying to yourself “no snacks at work except for the team Christmas lunch” you keep yourself from having to decide whether it’s OK to sneak a bite every time you go into the break room for a cup of coffee. Many eating plans call for a person to get one or two cheat meals a week, so stick to that by choosing which events will constitute your cheat meal.
2) Eat vegetables every time you eat. I heard this piece of advice from Amanda Stites, who leads all the nutritional counseling efforts at CrossFit On Track in Olathe. When I first heard it, I thought it sounded kind of silly because I thought I was already doing that but I wasn’t. When I started, I immediately felt more satisfied and less tempted to indulge in things that were not on my eating plan.
3) Get extra exercise. Most of us have a few extra days off during this time of year, even if they are just a couple of paid holidays on the job. Schedule some extra gym time to help counteract any overindulgence you do engage in - and also you will shake off those sluggish feelings we often encounter when we get crazy busy this time of year.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and with a little perseverance, it can be a healthy time as well….as long as you don’t let others convince you that “Eet’s Wafer Theen” too many times.
Live Paleo,
Diana
Diana Alt is the Marketing Director and Cavegirl In Chief at Evolve Paleo. Her favorite Monty Python movie is actually Monty Python and The Holy Grail. Chef Caleb doesn’t let her in the kitchen because he is afraid of the flesh wounds.
