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Mind over munching: Self-awareness key to avoiding holiday weight gain

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By Klint  Lowry | The Suncoast News

Published: December 10, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - 'Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry. But eat and drink too much and the merriment will come to an abrupt end the next time you step on the scale.

It doesn't have to be that way, says Seamus Allman, who was at the Conference Center at Pasco-Hernando Community College West Campus last month to present a workshop on healthy holiday nutrition.

Allman is a manager with BayCare Life Management, which specializes in outpatient counseling services, mainly behavioral health issues, emotional problems and chemical dependency.

BayCare Life Management is a division of BayCare Health System, an alliance of hospitals on the Suncoast.

Preparing for the workshop, Allman didn't bother to put together a list of holiday eating substitutions or foods to be avoided - you can find lists like that everywhere, he said.

"It's like something that's built into us," Allman said, "'I drive a Ford, you drive a Buick. My diet's better than your diet.'"

Instead, he focused on the physical and psychological aspects of maintaining nutritional control.

Rather than set rigid rules or stick to a set list of "good" and "bad" foods, it's a matter of adjusting one's perspective, he suggested. The first step in that is to get back to basics.

"Why do we eat?" Allman asked the 20 or so who attended the workshop.

Aside from fueling the body, the most basic reason we eat is pleasure.

Food tastes good; it smells good. It provides psychological comfort. It's part of being social. And it releases dopamine into the brain, a little chemical reward the body gives us when we do something it likes.

Trying to fight that dopamine rush is like slamming on the brakes on an icy road, Allman said.

The more often we do it, the more the brakes wear out. This is why it's so easy slip off track when it comes to food, especially during the holidays, when all the pleasurable aspects of eating are amplified.

Knowing why you are eating and drinking makes it much easier to plan and follow through on how to adjust your behavior so you can have a good time without it getting the best of you, Allman said.

There are all sorts of legends out there about how much weight the average American gains between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, Allman said, but the most reliable recent evidence is that it is really only about a pound or two. Keeping that in mind can help take the edge off our fears, Allman said.

There is no need to deny yourself the pleasures of the season, he added, especially when you can appreciate the pleasure that comes from controlling and balancing your celebrations.

How not to overindulge

Seamus Allman, manager of BayCare Life Management, has compiled from various sources a short list of suggestions for behavior modification that can help us maintain control our caloric intake over the holidays.

1. Be active. Whether it's rigorous exercise, an after-dinner stroll or power shopping around the mall, physical activity not only burns calories, but it actually helps curb appetite. Organize activities to add a social element to it.

2. Don't party hungry. A common mistake is to "save room" so you can make the most of an anticipated holiday spread. Instead, eat a light, healthy snack before a party. That way you can still indulge, but save yourself hundreds of empty calories. Plus it keeps you from looking like a food hog.

3. Balance your plate. Make your first plate is a small one, in case there are more delicacies to come. There's no need to forgo any of your favorite holiday treats, but throw a few fruits and vegetables into the mix, to pace yourself. If you want to eat them with dip, then dip, don't shovel.

4. Limit alcohol. Raise that glass of Christmas cheer, but after one or two rounds switch to water or something noncaloric. When you do drink, instead of sticking with beer, spiked eggnog or heavy liqueurs, add to the variety by having wine or a cocktail with a diet mixer.

5. Enjoy yourself. When you're at a party, be sure to spend more time with family and friends than you do with the buffet table. Combine the pleasure of good company with good food. You'll eat less and enjoy it more.

Klint Lowry can be reached at 727-815-1067 or at klowry@suncoastnews.com

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