7 Tips to Get Your Brain to Say No to Holiday Sweets (2024)

• ByLeigh Richardson
• Published onNovember 29, 2023

Sugar is all around us. We want to fit in and celebrate with our family, friends, and co-workers, yet we know that an overabundance of sweets has its repercussions. While it may not be as easy as pie, you can say no to the extra goodies that love saying your name. Use these strategies to help your brain say no to holiday cookies and sweets and make this your most enjoyable holiday season ever.

1. Think About The Side Effects

Think of how you felt when you last ate a box of candy. Sure, it felt great while you were chewing, but did you feel wonderful afterward? Probably not. If your stomach was as hard as a rock, you most likely got sick and wanted to eat a nice meal but were too stuffed to enjoy it.

Eating many sweets daily robs you of eating more nutritious food. What’s more, sugar contains empty calories. For example, for the same number of calories, you can possibly eat three or four pieces of your favorite fruit instead of one cupcake. This means that you need more sweets to feel full, yet you may not feel satisfied in the end.

2. Remind Yourself That Weight Management is All Year Round

If you treat yourself to dessert occasionally, say once a week, continue to do that around the holidays. Remember that having a routine to manage your weight doesn’t stop around the holidays. If you take a few months off, you might be tempted to go on a fad diet when the holidays are over. Fast weight loss is harder to keep off. Stick to your routine even during the holidays to help say no to excess sugar.

3. Moderation is a Lifestyle

Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that one sweet will ruin our diet. One cookie, one time, won’t ruin it. The repetition does. It’s the consecutive days of eating unhealthy snacks that influence our brain to say yes repeatedly to them. In order to eat sweets and office snacks in moderation, you’ll need to learn the realistic portions of food and how often you should eat them. When eating in moderation becomes a lifestyle, your brain can say no to many holiday temptations.

4. Stick With Your Exercise Routine

Exercise is a mood enhancer, depression buster, and excess weight eliminator. Our bodies are stronger, we stand up straighter, and we smile more after an exercise session. It doesn’t have to be stringent or lengthy. Studies show that as little as 5 minutes of daily running improves our health. If you’re one to exercise just enough, skip the excess holiday cookies and sweets. Tell yourself you don’t want to have to step up your exercise plan.

5. Say No to Outside Influence and Peer Pressure

Your family may have a history of diabetes, heart conditions, or other health problems that could have been derailed by maintaining better eating habits. Decide to break the cycle while you celebrate the joyous season. Practice responses before you attend a holiday party, such as, “I’m watching my sugar intake today.” You might start a trend. Or simply say, “I’m full,” or “Thanks anyway, but I don’t have a taste for sweets right now. It looks delicious, though.” Caring friends, family, and co-workers should respect that.

6. Eat Regular Meals and Regular Meal Times

Skipping meals leads to overeating the wrong foods for a quick energy fix. Therefore, another way to get your brain to say no to the extra holiday cookies, cakes, and office snacks is to plan a healthy and filling breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

When you get used to filling up on nutritious food, you’ll look forward to preparing and eating it. On that note, there are so many options to select from in the variety of meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains, so only eat what you like. If you don’t prepare food at home that is both healthy and delicious, it’s easy for your brain to say yes to holiday sweets.

7. Bring a Healthy Dish to the Holiday Party

Whenever you’re invited to an office party or a family get-together, make a fruit salad, green salad, chicken salad, or another type of dish that you can eat, too. Look up recipes on how to reduce the calories of your favorite comfort foods. Don’t depend on others to cater to your dietary needs. Come to the event prepared.

The Holiday Festivities are Meant to be Enjoyed

You can be victorious in your efforts to get your brain to say no to the extra holiday cookies, cakes, and office snacks. Focus more on the company of friends, relatives, and co-workers and not so much on the food. Also, keep in mind that the key jubilant months of the year are November and December. That’s only two months out of twelve. This leaves ten months out of the year when the pressure to eat sweets on a regular basis isn’t so high. Remain in control. You got this.

Read Next:

7 Steps to Limit Daily Sugar Intake Once and For All

Losing Weight During the Holidays – It Can Be Done

Finding Peace, Not Panic In the Holiday Season

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