Around this time a few years ago, I was in my obstetrician’s office for a routine checkup. I was five months along. After glancing at my stats, my doctor noted that my weight had jumped up quite a bit. Up until that point, I had gained little to no weight, and now I had put on about ten pounds or so.
“I did notice that I had gained quite a bit extra this month,” I said. “It was all of those thanksgiving dinners and holiday parties I went to.” I was not exaggerating, either. I looked back on the three weeks prior and realized that I was probably reaching four thousand calories per day on multiple occasions. (Did you know that the average American eats between 3,000-5,000 calories in a single Thanksgiving meal? It’s true.) We had gone to two Thanksgiving meals, plus eaten leftovers, and during the Christmas parties we had gone to, I had eaten more than my fair sure of desserts. I ditched all self control and indulged in everything I wanted. I had no idea those Thanksgiving meals would still be hanging around my waistline for months after I gave birth. My baby didn’t need it, and I didn’t need it either. I was only adding to the stress on my knees and the stress of having to lose that much more weight after my pregnancy.
This time of year is hard for anyone, but it is especially hard to be self-disciplined when you add on the cravings and hunger of pregnancy. The food typically served at parties and gatherings is high in calories and low in nutrition. It’s easy to rack up those empty calories, especially when everything tastes so good! While someone might be tempted to skip meals ahead of time to “make room” for the big holiday feast, that is actually the opposite of what you should do. If you want to control your calories, you should eat healthy foods before you go to the party so you won’t be hungry when you get there. That way you can eat a little bit of your favorite foods (and only your favorites) and you will be satisfied without binging.