Okay, here is a test: Name a “holiday tradition” that helps weight control efforts: Hmmm….maybe some people participate in a Thanksgiving morning 5-10K race? Perhaps in some religions during a certain period of time such as Lent for Catholics or Yom Kippur for Jews, giving up food/drinks will aid weight control.
Now, let’s go 180 degrees over the exact opposite question: Name a “holiday tradition” that will derail weight control efforts. This becomes a much easier task: Halloween candy, Thanksgiving pies and desserts, Egg Nog, Hot Toddies and other traditional Christmas drinks, getting wasted on New Year’s eve and many others.
Take a step back and evaluate your participation/involvement in “traditional” events/behaviors and try to identify the ones that need to be either eliminated or curtailed. This time of year presents lots of challenges to effective weight control and many of these are found in the numerous social gatherings that occur. These events usually are chock full of “traditional” foods and drinks. Be careful!
