Avoid a Meltdown During the Holidays

I found an interesting article in my Mom's Weight Watchers Nov/Dec 2008 magazine(article by Gabrielle Gayagoy) about things that can trigger us to eat. It may be:
Guilt - This is your trigger if you are a person who tends to overeat at holiday parties & things,
then beat yourself up over it later
Sadness - this is your trigger if things haven't been going well for you or you recently lost a loved
one and all the holiday stuff only makes you feel worse
Anger - This is your trigger if you see red when you head home for the holidays...maybe you and
a loved one argue every year or family members tend to pry into your personal affairs and
set you off
Anxiety - This is your trigger if you are a person who can't say no and all the endless events
leave your life in chaos

Now, the cheat sheets for overcoming your triggers:
Guilt Cheat Sheet - whether you overate at a party or just ate too many goodies before bed,
start the next day back on track with a healthy menu full of fresh fruits and veggies and all
those other good things we already know we should be eating!

Sadness Cheat Sheet - Try a 10 minute fitness routine to get your endorphins going and help
ease your blues. Do each for one minute without a break: Walk in place, step from side to side
raising one arm overhead each time, walk in place swinging arms, do knee lifts and press both
arms overhead, walk in place pressing both arms overhead with each step, do squats, walk in
place raising one arm overhead each time, throw punches, walk in place swinging arms, stand
with feet hip width apart and raise arms out to sides and overhead as you exhale bringing
your arms down as you exhale.

Anger Cheat Sheet - Before you eat anything, ask yourself 4 questions: 1) Why do I want to eat
this? Am I hungry or is it because I'm mad? 2) If I don't eat this now, will I regreat not eating
it later? 3) If I do eat it, how will I feel later? 4) Is there a healthier option? Your answers
will help you figure out when you are eating because of anger rather than true hunger. If its
due to anger, have a list of things ready you can do instead of soothing yourself with food, such
as write Christmas cards, wrap some gifts, or call a friend to catch up.

Anxiety Cheat Sheet - Instead of launching into Cookie Monster mode when you are stressed,
calm down with some sort of meditation exercise. Or one of my favorite things to do it run a
warm bubble bath, grab a book and a glass of ice water and go relax for an hour or so.

I really liked the anger cheat sheet. I don't eat out of anger, but I am occasionally guilty of the refrigerator hover...that being standing at the frig with the door open just looking for "something" to eat but not knowing what I want. Most of the time it isn't because I'm hungry. I am hopeful that I can use this cheat to stop and ask myself these questions and then move away from the frig and on to something more constructive. Though I am at goal, I still have those mindless munching days when I later ask myself why the heck I did it. But then its on to the Guilt Cheat Sheet and back on track the next day, or the next meal dependent upon when I had the little "snafu". lol

Have a great night!