Holiday Eating Tips

That most wonderful time of the year is upon us…holiday after holiday!  For many people, this truly is a joyous time of year.  Friends and family visit that you don’t get to see often.  Kids come home from college making moms’ hearts happy.  The house is full of food, people, and hopefully fun.

For those of you who are on a weight-loss journey or even at a point where you are now attempting to maintain your weight after having reached your weight goal, this time of year can hold unique challenges.  If you are the one traveling to a relative’s or friend’s house for any or all of the upcoming holidays, then the food that you have available to you may be out of your control.  This is definitely more challenging.  We suggest that you bring some healthy snacks along with you.  That way, if the food being offered is largely unhealthy, you have something healthy at your disposal.  The purpose of this is not just to put something healthy in your body, but also to help curb your appetite so that you eat less of the unhealthy offerings.

Depending on the holiday spread that is available, you may have a lot to choose from for your meals.  If this is the case, do your best to make healthy choices.  Sometimes this is choosing the lesser of two evils.  For example, sweet potatoes are healthier than regular russet potatoes.  Both have carbs, but if you have a choice, make the healthier choice by choosing the sweet potato.  Also, remember that unlike your loved ones, you don’t have to slather it with a pound of butter and brown sugar!  These seemingly small choices will make a difference over the course of these next couple months that seem to encourage overindulgence!

Another great tip is that if there is a lot to choose from, taking a spoonful of each item will still fill your plate, but you aren’t actually having a large amount of any one item.  This is also a good way to still enjoy the great food being offered without feeling like you are falling off the health wagon, so to speak.  Additionally, if you come from a family of overeaters, they are less likely to give you a hard time if they see that your plate is full.  They probably won’t even notice that you’ve chosen to fill it with small portions or with healthier choices.  And, it is acceptable to have a treat on these special occasions.  If you have the willpower to have a small slice of pie or one brownie, then yes, enjoy a treat.  If you know that it will lead to the second piece of pie or five brownies, then you may need to eat one of the healthy snacks that you brought along instead.

At Advanced Surgical and Weight Loss Institute we know this time of year can be especially challenging for those with weight issues.  We are here to help.  With Dr. Diego Velarde at the helm, we offer a wide variety of weight loss surgeries for those of you in the Melbourne and Merritt Island areas.  Whether you are interested in the gastric balloon or other methods of achieving rapid weight loss, we have the answers, the expertise, and the technology to make it happen, so please give us a call today!