How to Choose Healthy Options When Everyone Else is Eating Junk Food

When everyone around you eats sweets and treats and takes the holidays as an excuse to indulge for the entire month of December, it suddenly gets really hard to make good choices. The house that used to have nothing too tempting is suddenly bursting with candy, cookies from grandma, and leftovers from rich indulgent meals. Ugh. What's a person who is trying to stay the course on a healthy lifestyle to do?

Dig into that Motivation: Know Your Why

This isn't unique to us; lots of motivational speakers call this tactic "knowing your why" but we think it's probably the best way to stay the course or to get on one in the first place. When tempted by less than healthy food, it’s important to remember why we, individually, should avoid it in the first place. Maybe there’s a focus on getting healthier, or the scale numbers are dropping consistently — or maybe there are greater reasons like a heart attack last year, or an autoimmune disease that's threatening to flare. Perhaps a treasured outfit fits again for the first time in a while. Maybe we want to extend our lifespan or feel better when we wake up in the morning. The reasons are individual, so it's important to get clear on your own why's. No matter the reasons, remembering the motivation behind weight loss or other health behaviors may make it easier to say no to things that aren't in our best interest.

Remember How Overeating Makes You Feel

All that food might look tempting, but it may be better to feel healthy and strong instead. Overeating can lead to more than eight gain. Indulging may lead to discomfort, gas, bloating, a burning sense of indigestion, heartburn, or even an uncomfortable night spent awake with an aching belly. Or for some, it may even lead to things to point aches, a hangover, or other day-after effects. Healthy eating may make avoiding a whole lot of discomfort much easier. When we choose healthy foods, we’re rewarding and fueling our bodies. Not only is that good for weight loss or maintenance, but also long-term overall health.

Avoid Lingering By the Food Table

Choosing healthy options is easier when there aren’t as many options nearby all the time. It may be impossible to get it out of the house at this time of the year, but you don't need to babysit it, either. Being close to the food table may contribute to mindless munching, snacking, or comfort nibbling. No matter what, staring down those cookies is a sure-fire way to give in to temptation. After taking some healthy foods onto your plate, sit where the table or buffet isn’t in view or reach. And don't be afraid to move a glass or a vase to block your view of some foods at the dining table if it's a sit-down meal, too. Just do it and don't say anything about it and people are very unlikely to notice. If they say something just say you couldn't see grandma and smile.  

Whatever you do, don't engage in a discussion about your diet! This rarely leads to confidence and it opens you up for criticism and later, self-doubt. If asked, just, smile and say you're eating a little healthier this year. And if someone pushes a tempting food on you, "no thank you" without explanation is still the best way to move on quickly.

Choose Gum or Mints

Not only do gum and mints give a person’s mouth something to do, but the minty taste also helps discourage snacking. After having a measured portion of food as planned, chew gum or eat a sugar-free mint and let it slowly dissolve over time. Feel free to have three or four or more. That way, the mouth stays fresh, and there’s less of a risk of going back for unneeded treats and junk food.

It may also help to go brush your teeth right after the main meal to signal the mind and brain that you're done eating for the night. 

Avoid Alcoholic Beverages

Drinking alcohol may lead to overeating because it typically lowers inhibition and affects judgment. Likewise, indulging in other recreational substances, right? To avoid that problem, choose sparkling water with a squeeze of lime, or another alcohol-free beverage. Not only will this reduce the odds of getting the munchies, but it will also save a lot of calories because alcohol is a calorie-heavy choice by itself. Also, keep in mind that carrying around a drink makes it less tempting to eat junk food and sweets because there’s already something to sip and grip.

Help the Host or Chat With Guests

Being helpful and talking to other people is a great way to avoid mindless eating. When a person’s hands are busy, and they’re distracted by conversation, having junk food may be forgotten. The host will likely appreciate the help, and if there’s no help needed, there are always conversations to be had with other people. Distractions that aren’t food-based may make healthy eating more fun while avoiding junk food easier. 

If social anxiety is likely to both discourage socializing and encourage over-indulgence, it may help to plan ahead for better options. Self-care breaks like getting outside, finding those you trust, and using a timer to limit the time and create a finite exposure are often helpful.

It's great to try to avoid indulgence and to focus on your why's and work to create the healthiest possible lifestyle that supports your intentions for your life. But ultimately, whatever happens, don't beat yourself up. It's one night. Or it's one week. But health is made over the course of the year and we all indulge sometimes. So if you ate the entire buffet, that's ok. Don't judge yourself or create an environment of shame around your choices. It's just a choice, right? There's no morality in food. Try to create health. But when you get off-track in that effort, love yourself and keep walking on to the next choice. Eat some veg and call it a day. Most of all, make a happy holiday, love those people who love you back, and laugh as much as you can. 

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