by C. Lyn Walter

Created on: November 13, 2008   Last Updated: November 19, 2009

The National Institute of Health (nih.gov) reports the usual holiday weight gain is between one and two pounds. The concern is although this seemingly inevitable gain may seem insignificant, the pounds usually stay with us, accumulating year after year. Compounding, incremental weight gain ultimately leads to obesity; for this reason, it is vitally important not to overlook the potential for a steady, imperceptible and unrealized gain.

Holidays and celebrations with family and friends are unique events for each of us, still there is no need to put on unwanted pounds in the process. A realistic approach to controlling our eating habits lies in choosing dishes we enjoy at all times and enjoying them in moderation.

Planning is at the core of successfully managing our lives, our goals, and our eating habits. We use planning skills every day, even though we may be unaware we are doing so. If we plan ahead for the lush holiday celebration, dinner at an upscale restaurant, or simply what we will be preparing for dinner tonight, we are using a skill known as mental rehearsing. This skill allows us to think about what will probably be available at each function, allowing us to plan what to choose before hand. We are then free to plan the rest of our day accordingly.

Many of us are learning to set ourselves free from an almost self induced pre-occupation associated with habitual dieting. Today the focus is on learning to unscramble our long held erroneous perceptions about food, weight loss and the diet myths that have gained and lost popularity for decades. There is simplicity in the truth about nutrition, caloric requirements and waning metabolism. We can choose to re-evaluate some of the food choices we have habitually made and then replace them with healthier, yet satisfying selections, and all in moderation. This will not be another diet to go on and off of nor will it be some trendy diet mantra to be mindlessly adopted until it has lost it's appeal. This is a reasonable approach to adapting to small changes willingly made, in order to find our way back to a sane attitude towards our daily eating habits.

Improving dietary lifestyles permanently begins with a series of small changes. These changes are absent the expectation for immediate results through radical, unrealistic and unhealthy fad dieting rituals. The goal is to finally create meaningful change by replacing old, ineffective habits with new ones built on validity, vitality and confidence. There is no need for someone else's version of a daily menu we must adhere to, or fail. Most of us know what to eat, how much to eat, and we are also well schooled in the caloric equivalent of almost every food we choose. We don't need another sensational diet tip, book, club or pre-packaged meal delivered to our door. We really are capable of designing our own plan based on basic nutritional guidelines which are plentiful, accessible, and free.

Ultimately, abrupt changes are found to be ineffective, either because they are basically unpleasant or because our psyche's and personal physiology defaults to established habits. Changing any habit takes time and patience so why not be kind to ourselves, beginning with electing and practicing moderation and mental rehearsing? This skill encourages us to plan ahead before we find ourselves in a situation where we are bound to make poor choices. Once we accomplish these goals, we become enabled to prepare and make better choices in any situation, whether it be holiday celebrations or every day living.

Reference

National Institute of Health.gov

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