‘Tis the season for overeating…or is it? Believe it or not, you don’t have to leave this Christmas season feeling stuffed out your ears with excess calories.
Instead, you can enter the new year feeling grateful, appreciative, and mindful of all of your food choices, leading to a healthier version of you.
Here are Keto Zone’s top 10 tips to eat mindfully during the holidays.
1. Eat Breakfast
Oftentimes we won’t eat breakfast in anticipation of a big meal. But this sets you up for failure.
Eating a healthy breakfast keeps you full, which means you’re less likely to overeat during the day. Drink a coffee with Keto Zone MCT Oil Powder to boost energy and satiation, and pair it with a recipe like Keto Zone Christmas Breakfast Casserole.
2. Don’t Graze
The giant table with 12 different, delicious appetizers leads everyone to graze around. As harmless as these snacks seem, we end up getting so caught up in the gathering we forget to pay attention to our plate!
Before we know it, we’ve chugged down more food than we can count and end up stuffing ourselves even more during the real deal meal.
Choose one appetizer, then drink water until it’s time to eat.
3. Slow Your Roll
We’re all guilty of inhaling our food, especially when we have eyes bigger than our stomach. Remember to take small bites, chew entirely (around 20-30 times), and put your fork down often; it’s not a race!
Take a sip of water in between bites and make conversation during the meal to help regulate your speed, too. Or, set a time frame: span out your eating between 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Are You Really Hungry?
Boredom and thirst can disguise themselves as appetite when you’re not hungry at all.
Before you dig into the leftovers, drink a glass of water and move to a different activity. If you’re still craving food, you’re probably hungry.
5. Skip TV Dinners
Nowadays eating in front of screens is the norm. But instead of focusing on your plate, you’re focused on the TV, which means you’re not paying attention to the taste and quantity of food.
Make sitting at the table a habit and avoid all electronic devices during meals. Mindful eating is about focusing on the enjoyment and satisfaction of food, and screens are huge distractions.
6. Pass Up Huge Portions
Holidays tend to glorify the overconsumption of food. To where if your plate is not overflowing, you’re not having a proper holiday meal. This isn’t true!
You can still enjoy a Christmas meal with correct portion sizes and healthy keto recipes. Keep in mind that if you have a large plate, you’re more likely to consume more calories, whereas a smaller plate is vice versa.
7. Leave the Clean Plate-Club
Remember being told as a kid you couldn’t leave the table until your plate was clean? Not only does this take important hunger cues out of the equation, but it also promotes overeating.
You don’t have to finish the entire plate. Eat until you’re full, then stop. It’s as simple as that!
8. Address Slip-Ups
One holiday slip-up, and suddenly you’re binging on a plate of Christmas cookies because “I’ve already messed up, so I might as well go all in.”
Instead of punishing yourself over some not-so-healthy holiday food, acknowledge your mistake and keep trucking on.
One bad treat isn’t going to ruin all of your progress but binging on a lot of it will!
9. Stick to Healthy Alternatives
Here’s the truth: humans don’t respond very well to hefty restriction. So, when we’re told we can’t make this recipe, eat that meal, or enjoy this dessert, we usually end up breaking and doing it anyway.
To counteract this, don’t limit yourself. Instead, substitute in healthy alternative recipes, like Delicious Frosted Keto Christmas Cookies and Superfood Spiced Keto Hot Chocolate.
This way you’re still enjoying Christmas treats just like everyone else!
10. Give Thanks
Incorporating gratitude before meals is the most powerful way to eat mindfully. Because when you appreciate the food in front of you, you’re more likely to go slow and savor it.
On top of that, studies show practicing gratitude can lower cortisol and decrease the risk of depression and chronic illness. (1)
Read Healthiest Holidays Ever: Gratitude, Optimism, and Peace During the Holidays to learn more about increasing gratitude!
Bottom Line
Make this holiday season the best one yet with a mindful mindset. Not only will you enjoy every single bite of keto food, but with the above tips, you’ll also set valuable food boundaries to carry into the new year.
Ready to burn fat, lose weight, and be the healthiest version of you in 2020? Click here to join the 21 Day Keto Zone Challenge along with hundreds of others. In 10 seconds or less, you’ll gain access to FREE recipes, articles, shopping lists, and videos for succeeding on Keto Zone.
