So yes, the holidays are coming up. Do. Not. Panic.

I always find it interesting that people feel they need to “prepare” themselves for the holidays and surrender themselves to inevitable weight gain. Why? What’s changed? We are faced with temptations every day – what makes one day of Thanksgiving and one day of Christmas (or, in some cases, 8 days of Chanukah) so different?

It’s all hype, people.

It is society creating a situation that only helps them later find perfect topics for main stream gossip magazines or the next “diet” craze. There’s a reason January finds a surge of New Year’s resolution gym memberships and new clients for Weight Watchers. We are supposed to gain weight. We are supposed to lose control. According to researchers at the National Institutes of Health, most Americans never lose the weight they gain during the holidays – the pounds just add up year after year making holiday weight gain a contribution to adult obesity.

Stop the madness.

Two months out of the year should not dictate a loss of control. I’m gonna re-tell a little secret I have revealed in the past: It’s a lifestyle, not a diet. It’s about making the right choices 80% of the time and indulging the other 20%. It’s about balance, self-control and discipline; wanting to feel good inside and out. It’s about portion control. It’s about choosing the foods that make you feel good, not the ones that make you irritable, exhausted and bloated.

So, you eat a bit more on the actual holiday. Eat less the next day and balance it out. Or exercise an extra day that week. The same you would do on any other regular day of the year. Eating should be an enjoyment in life – not something we forbid ourselves and then binge when we finally allow ourselves to eat. Binging is an unfulfilling cycle that will never end.

I have been the same size for nearly 10 years (minus 2 pregnancies with extremely large babies). And, there are days I have single-handedly done some damage on a ½ gallon of ice cream. The difference is it didn’t send me off on a binge. I had what I wanted and moved on. I realized I feel better when I am in control of what I eat and when I feed my body with good foods and nutrients. I feel lighter, happier and healthier.

It’s not rocket science. Enjoy the holidays and rock that crab dip. Then get back on track.

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