5 Reasons Holiday Dieting Is Just a Waste of Time
Now that the holiday season is already here, most girls and even some guys are talking about diets and calories everywhere. They’re constantly looking for diet-friendly Thanksgiving meals and low-calorie Christmas desserts. This is probably why diet and weight loss blogs are more popular at the end of the year. In my opinion, holiday dieting is just a waste of time, effort and money – before and during the holiday season, diet foods are much more expensive than ever. Needless to say, it causes tons of stress. Here’s why I don’t recommend holiday dieting this year.
1. Breaking family traditions
When you were a child, you had an opportunity to enjoy any meals your mom and grandmothers cooked for Thanksgiving and Christmas. When you get older, you start believing that dieting is a must – because most girls are obsessed with calories so you don’t want to be in the background. Fine, if following the crowd is more important than your mom’s traditional dishes, continue counting calories.
Every meal plays host to our emotions. It’s a sort of nostalgia. Your mom or grandma spends hours in the kitchen trying to make those family meals, and here you are – a dieter who’s not interested in anything except water and carrots. Don’t hurt people you love, enjoy your favorite food together.
2. Counting calories ruins the holiday spirit
If you have a habit of counting calories of whatever you eat and drink, chance are you will do the same during the family gatherings. Instead of enjoying the holiday food, you destroy that delight. Unless you have serious food allergies, nothing terrible will happen to you if you have a piece of turkey or Christmas cake. Relax, focus on the holiday spirit and forget about calories at least for a while.
3. It’s boring
Let’s be honest: certain foods make us feel comfortable and happy. Impulsively diving into high-calorie meals isn’t an option, of course. But mindful eating can save the situation. I have always believed that moderation is better than dieting. You don’t torture and starve yourself and you don’t overeat. Holiday dieting is boring. Any type of diet have a huge list of foods that you’re not allowed to eat. I suggest you try and quit dieting and cultivate mindful eating instead.
Read also – 8 Eating Tricks to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
4. It can wreck havoc on the body
Nutrient deficiency is a big problem these days. People go vegans, try different meal plans and avoid eating a host of foods without paying attention to what the body needs. Headaches, blood pressure, nausea, weakness, dizziness and many other health issues might be a warning sign your body isn’t getting the right amount of essential nutrients. Before becoming a vegetarian or following any kind of diet, make sure you consult your doctor or nutritionist. Otherwise, you may end up feeling sick during the whole holiday season.
5. Turning down foods leads to addiction
Chronically obsessive food tracking is a true addiction. The holiday season isn’t short so turning down everything during this long period of time can lead to terrible consequences. Women who suffered from such an addiction say that it’s like a drug or alcohol addiction. They had trouble getting rid of this habit and couldn’t eat any meal with ease. Don’t become one of them. Thanksgiving pumpkin pie and Christmas cookies aren’t your biggest enemies. Eat healthy rather than diet. You deserve a little treat.
Is holiday dieting a total waste of time? Not exactly, although the results may not surprise you. When you stick to a strict holiday diet, you simply draw a cake to satisfy your hunger. You believe you will ring in the new year with a slimmer waistline without thinking about your happiness. While everyone enjoys delicious meals, you drink the third glass of water, feeling unbearably hungry and unhappy. Food restriction causes nothing but misery so think twice before starting holiday dieting.
