1. Plan! Plan! Plan! Being organized and planning ahead is important all year long, but essential during the holiday season. If you don’t plan ahead, you will more than likely fall into old eating habits.
2. Just as important as planning ahead is doing your best to stick to that plan! This past weekend when my youngest daughter was home for several days and my oldest daughter was here with her family, I planned meals and stuck to them Thursday and Friday. But Tuesday and Wednesday night, we ended up having my husband bring food home.
3. What about your favorites during the holiday season? Plan for that too! Does your mom or grandma make a favorite dish that you do not want to miss out on this year? That is okay, just plan ahead! For example, my grandmother makes the best peanut butter balls! If I want to have one or two, that will be fine, I just need to truly savor those and stop there! My usual pattern is to eat way too many of them.
4. Plan to have healthy treats available too. God has created many wonderful and tasty foods that are healthy too. It bothers me when I hear people say that food only tastes good if it is bad for you. Start looking now for some healthy recipes to try out during the holiday season. Maybe you will find a new favorite!
5. As much as possible, stick to a routine. During the holidays, let’s face it, that is not always going to happen. But doing your best to stay on routine will help you maintain your healthy lifestyle.
6. Plan to take a walk! After enjoying a big meal, get the family together and go take a walk and enjoy God’s creation before dessert.
7. Lastly, prior to attending a gathering where you know there will be a lot of food, plan what you want to eat before you go or before you fix your plate. Only take small amounts of your favorites and truly enjoy them.
8. Most importantly, remember to be thankful for all that you have and all that you are blessed with!