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The Holiday Diet

Nov17

I’m sure there must be a special holiday diet for food addicts and emotional eaters, or maybe for overeaters in general. There’s a diet for just about everything else.

It’s stressful to focus on losing a few pounds just because you know you will probably indulge in at least some overeating during the holidays. And what can stress lead to? Overeating, of course.

There are some simple things you can do to help your body survive the holiday food fare. Since many holiday foods are full of fats and sugar, not to mention all the additives and preservatives, try baking something from scratch.

It’s a daring venture but you’ll know exactly how much fat, sugar and salt are in the recipe. You get to choose the quality of the ingredients. Try raw sugar instead of the refined sugar in store bought cookies, candies, cakes and pastries.

One simple thing you can do that although you may not like to is to drink plenty of water.  Water flushes the fat out of the body and does a great job of it at that.

You can dance and other fun activities that burn sugar. If you can burn it off quickly, maybe it won’t end up as stored fat.

Does that mean you can give in to the whims of your food addiction or set aside the daily exercise regimen that keeps your emotional eating in check?

The obvious answer is no. There will be plenty of distractions as it is without adding some nutty new holiday diet to the list.

So instead of making a list of the things you want to avoid, make a shorter list of the things you can commit to during the holidays. Be sure “Have fun” is on the list somewhere.

By keeping your focus on what you can do rather than what you shouldn’t do, you can keep your stress levels in check and send your food addictions on their own holiday.

Weight Loss Becomes More Challenging With Age

Nov15

It gets harder to lose weight as we age. Habits that were formed in earlier years, even a few years earlier, can be difficult to break.

Food addiction forms habits, like overeating, eating when you’re feeling angry, tired, or depressed, and eating when you’re stressed. Since feelings are linked to compulsive overeating, just changing what you eat isn’t enough.

It starts out simple enough. Go to bed a little later each night. Snack while waiting on hold too long. Trade in your daily walk for hours in front of the TV. Eat when there’s nothing better to do.

Normal aging changes the body. Things slow down. What we used to be able to get away with doesn’t fly any more. We don’t burn fat like we did when we were younger, so those few extra pounds are harder to lose.

It’s hard to get your weight back to normal, whatever that means, until you get yourself back to normal, whatever that means. Normal is up to you.

We all get older. There’s no way to stop that. But you can teach an old dog new tricks. If you want to beat a food addiction, you need to learn a few new tricks.

1. Think of yourself. Make yourself important enough to put first. Pamper yourself with non-food treats as often as you can afford to. It may be a new experience, but it’s a good one.

2. Make eating a one-of-a-kind event. Don’t mix it with something else like talking on the telephone or watching TV, or driving.

3. Get out of the house. Go for a walk, even if it’s at one of those warehouse stores. Swing your arms and stretch out and move your body. Leave your money in your car.

You don’t have to do everything at once. It doesn’t work anyway. Take one new thing at a time, and work on it until it becomes a habit.

There is no reason in the world why someone in their 40’s, 50’s, or older can’t have a body they’re thrilled with, no matter what anyone tells you about getting older.

You just have to be ready to do the work.  When you are ready, you can change your life from one of that is ruled by food to one that is ruled by you.

Are you ready?

Food, Feelings, and Holidays

Nov14

The holidays are just around the corner. There will be a lot of eating going on between now and the first of the year.

So what kind of advice will you be listening to this time around? Whatever it is, try not to take it too seriously.

Of all the times to worry about overeating, the holidays are not the time. They are meant to be happy times and there is always food.

You can’t escape it so you might as well relax and enjoy the food, festivities, and the feelings that the holiday season brings.

Remember, food addictions make you stuff down feelings. While the holidays can be stressful, there is no need to favor the stress over the joy of the season.

What can you do? Besides eat, that is. Having some fun is always a good idea. Get some extra rest, relax with a holiday movie. There are quite a few good ones and many are on TV now.

Cook or bake something. Your house will smell spicy and warm. You won’t have to worry about all the extra sugar and fat because all the best recipes don’t require all that junk. And there’s nothing like homemade cookies, pies, and breads.

Get to sleep early or take naps. Don’t let fatigue trick you into eating when you are actually sleepy and not really hungry.

Laugh as much as possible. It’s great for the stomach muscles. Check out fat blockers and enzymes at the health food store to help you deal with the richer foods.

Drink plenty of water. Get outside in the fresh air. Walk, jog, play on the swings in the park. Do something. Do everything but think about food addictions and emotional eating, and how much weight you have to lose.

Most of all, be happy. Everyone can think of something to be grateful for and happy about. Everyone. And nobody ever stuffs down happiness.