During the holidays, dining room tables are invisible under the sweet scents of cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cornbread and many other holiday specialties.
Every year Thanksgiving and other winter festivities lead people to over-indulge.
The multiple rarities lining a holiday table commence the cycle of gorging oneself past capacity and resolving never to do that again when 12 a.m. arrives on New Year’s Eve.
It is in the spirit of the season to eat foods that are only present one time of year.
However, the splurge leaves many people feeling depressed when five extra pounds seem to have spontaneously clung to their bodies the next day.
Keene State College first-year Monica Doorley said that, for her, every year is the same — she overeats and resolves to avoid the pattern after the new year.
“I usually feel regretful about how much I ate,” Doorley said.
While the fear of blowing one’s healthy eating habits for the sake of rare flavors on the tongue may taint the joy of the holidays, according to WebMD it is not possible to gain weight overnight.
Instead, it cites weight gain as a process of “prolonged over eating.”
A San Antonio Nutrition Consultant, Rebecca Reeves said it is fine to indulge every once in a while.
“What we have to learn is that we are giving ourselves permission to do this and as soon as it’s over, we should go back to the eating plan we normally follow,” Reeves said.
Enjoying the mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, bread and numerous desserts is a part of experiencing the joy of the holidays. It is acceptable to indulge during your holiday celebration as long as the healthy eating habits reconvene the next day.
The feeling of weight gain stems from bloating after consuming high quantities of food. Daphne Sashin wrote on the WebMD website, “That’s not because you gained body fat, but because of water retention from extra salt that was in the food you ate,” Sashin said.
This year enjoy the holiday treats without guilt.
Make a resolution early this year: to enjoy yourself and get back on track the next day.
Anna Glassman can be contacted at aglassman@keene-equinox.com