The first and foremost rule on Christmas day is to enjoy yourself! A healthy lifestyle and diet is all about balance and Christmas is one time to reward yourself for a year of hard work. One day of being indulgent won’t significantly impact your weight or health so here are my nutrition tips for this occasion…
1. Do not discuss diets … at all.
No one particularly wants to hear about your diet or be made to feel guilty for what they are eating. In doing this, you yourself will also feel guilty about not sticking to your routine. Ditch any diets for the day and enjoy the food and company. Thinking about all the “mistakes” you’re making could actually lead to more over eating due to that ‘all or nothing’ attitude that many dieters and emotional eaters take on. Mentally switch off from the calorie content of the foods you’re eating.
2. Do not restrict yourself.
Eat what you feel like and stop before the point you feel like you will burst if you eat any more. This way you won’t feel deprived and have food envy. If you’re comfortable limiting yourself to smaller portions of lots of different foods then that’s great but if you will feel like you’re missing out by doing that then don’t think about it.
3. Don’t pay attention to what others are eating or if they’re talking about food.
Food and nutrition is a very popular topic so it often comes in social settings. Try ignoring or avoiding conversations around food – a lot of the time it is misinformation anyway.
It is also a good idea ignore what others around you are eating and just focus on yourself. Eating more than others will make you feel guilty and eating less could encourage you to go back for seconds and thirds.
4. Get back in to your balanced diet the following day.
Whilst we should enjoy the Christmas day feast, it’s not something we want to linger on for the whole week. Never turn to restrictive eating but get back to your regular, healthy routine.
Contact us for results focused nutritional advice
This article was written by our dietitian Belinda Elwin who is a Dietitians Association of Australia member, and Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Nutritionist. If you have questions about healthy eating, make an appointment. We‘ll provide you with a simple and effective routine targeted to your concerns. Contact us today!
