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YourHub.com \\ The Valley \\ Stories \\ Health \\ Fitness & Diet

Limit the stuffing to the turkey!

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Contributed by: Sheri Neuberg on 11/1/2007

I have looked the Devil in the Eye, and "Oh my lord, His name is PIE!"

Are sweets your downfall from grace, or perhaps salty delicacies, such as nuts, chips, or stuffing?

Here are some tips to get through this holiday season proudly, in control and wearing the same size pants in January.

First, identify your favorite trigger foods and have a chat with them. Let them know directly who will be in charge this year. Understand that these are the foods that get you going and you need to imagine a red light every time you see one.

Next, know the enemy!
Alcohohl - definite destroyer of the waistline in more ways than just added calories. With that extra drink under your belt, tomorrow doesn't seem quite as important as the extra piece of pie does today. The mind-stomach connection lessens as the mind-tongue (tastes good) is strengthened.

Then there is the situation - everyone else is eating what they want and you can too! Not! All those kindly co-eaters that encourage you to enjoy yourself - remember, they are going to pay the price too. With the right perspective, there is great satisfaction watching others overindulge and knowing that you will walk out feeling fine.

These are the holidays, folks, not a license to stuff!

Ask yourself this question and then make your decision on how to approach these next couple of weeks.

Will it really make me happy to overeat and eat things I know I shouldn't? Your immediate answer might be, "yes." But will it really?

It's going to taste great for about two minutes and then it's over ... gone ... directly to your hips. When you think further ahead you can hear the brow beating that's going to start, "Why did I eat that, I blew it, I might as well eat as much as possible today and really cut back tomorrow...( which you won't do.)"

Then, next week you go to zip up your favorite jeans and guess what? You are choking, miserable and worried ... So, is that cookie really going to make you happy?

Psyche yourself out - Pretend you already ate it! It was delicious. It's over and gone. Now move on. Don't dwell on it,

Walk around with a glass of water in your hand. It's always more difficult to eat hors d'oeuvres on a small plate while standing, with a glass in one hand.

Go prepared. Eat something small and sensiblebefore you arrive at the party. It will be easier to say "no" to the triggers if you are not starving when you get there.

If you are in a restaurant, stop eating when you are satisfied and pour salt over the rest of the food - or ask for it to be boxed immediately. That will avoid any excess 'picking" while schmoozing.

Have something special waiting for you at home at the end of the evening: low carb ice cream bar or diet Jello with a dollop of whipped cream. It will give you something to look forward to and you won't feel deprived. You will be amazed at how satisfying a nice, sweet juicy apple can be after the party.

If it's really something you want to eat, give yourself permission officially and choose to do so. Decide on how much before you start. Eat slowly and savor the flavors. And when you are finished - Don't start the negative inner dialogue with yourself. Congratulate yourself for staying in control and sticking to the plan.

Buffet? Decide to go through only once. Scout it out fully before making your choices. Make those choices count.

If you decide to stay away from sweets altogether, tell people that you are "not allowed to eat sugar." Most often they are too polite to ask why and will leave you alone after that.

For more tips, I would encourage you to visit my Web site, www.HypnoSheri.com, and read my article " Eating on a Timeline".

For extra help in dealing with the holiday stress, family issues or challenge of those pounds, hypnotherapy is a terrific way to get back in control and stay there.

Remember - January is going to come right after December and you don't want to be taking advantage of those great sales to be buying larger sizes! Happy holidays!

Sheri Neuberg is a certified hypnotherapist, (Hypnosis Motivation Institute) with a bachelor's degree in psychology from UCLA.

Contact Information:
Tel: (323) 691-6375 E-mail: SNeuberg@charter.net www. HypnoSheri.com
Offices: 18607 Ventura Blvd., Suite 310, Tarzana, and Calabasas

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