Truth be told, the holidays can bring angst or remorse as well as happiness.

Changing a habit takes 66 days, but who has the time? Losing weight can take even longer. Over-indulging usually begins with mindless eating that spirals out of control. But where there is a will, there is a way to keep it all under control.

Thanksgiving is the beginning of fun times with family, friends, and significant others, but it is also the beginning of self-shaming, body-slamming, and beating up on ourselves. And this is just a start. There are holiday celebrations until New Year's Day or longer.

So what's a person to do between late November and mid January? How can we enjoy good food, family, friends, or celebrating on our own without breaking the bank or tipping the scales? Truth be told, the holidays can bring angst or remorse as well as happiness.  

Anticipating family visits comes with gratitude and excitement, but it can also come with the dread of possible family feuds.  Having an extra serving of Grandma's apple pie comes with pleasure and goodness but also threats of gaining a pound or two.  When it comes to good eating and merriment, there is no way we can not indulge because if people spent hours toiling over a meal, the least we can do is eat it--lots of it.  Afterwards, we can enjoy the guilt.

During the holidays, guilt is not the only possibility. In fact, if we take steps to balance our eating and our other behaviors, we can avoid the negative feelings that often result after over-indulging.  In a radio interview broadcast 11/28/15, Dr. Brian Wansink made suggestions that are included in his book, Mindless Eating, and he offered some good advice. Follow the link (below) for more information.

According to today's interview, there are several ways to condition ourselves toward eating less. Some of the suggestions include:

• Saying one thing you are grateful for before eating;

• Writing down what you eat;

• Plating two items at a time and returning for different items, two at a time;

• Taking a snack that equals 1/4 of what you usually eat and then distracting yourself by taking a walk, returning a phone call, or running an errand.

Before you start planning for the usual overeating, guilt and self-shaming that often follows the holiday season, think of ways to be proactive, planning for what and how you will eat, drink, and celebrate! Happy holidays!

For more on this topic, follow this link: "Beating Your Mindless Eating Habits" http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/outreach/mec.html