A family having a holiday feast at home featuring different holiday food - concept of overeating during the holidays.

How to Avoid Overeating During the Holidays

person slicing meat on table

Holiday dinners and lunches bring a sense of family and unite friends. However, resisting an extra bite of that tasty food can be challenging. While eating larger portions or binge eating is tempting, it is detrimental to your health. Here is a list of ten dangers of overeating during the holidays.

  1. An increased risk of obesity
  2. Disruption of natural hunger signals
  3. Impaired brain function
  4. Nausea
  5. Bloating
  6. Nausea with or without vomiting
  7. Heartburn
  8. A higher risk of insulin resistance
  9. Stomach upset
  10. Poor sleep

The Role of Your Metabolism in Overeating

If you have a fast metabolism, you burn more calories even when resting. On the other hand, people with a slow metabolism burn fewer calories and gain weight faster.

While a fast metabolism can slow down weight gain, you are still highly likely to overeat. Thus it’s still vital to watch your food intake to avoid overeating during the holidays.

How to Identify if You are Overeating

Overeating isn’t simply taking a lot of food. Hence, there are many ways to determine if you have this issue.

Some signs of overeating are:

  • Can’t keep your favorite meal in the house; instead, you eat it in one sitting
  • Feel weighed down after eating
  • Barely paying attention to your plate
  • Feel bloated after eating
roasted turkey on white ceramic plate

Tips to Avoid Overeating

Mindful eating is a perfect way to ensure you don’t stuff yourself during the holiday season. Avoid distractions so you can pay attention to your body’s fullness signals. Likewise, chew your food slowly and thoroughly.

More tips to avoid overeating during the holidays are:

  • Watch your portions
  • Use a smaller plate
  • Avoid going to events on an empty stomach
  • Cut back on taste testing
  • Eat more proteins than carbs
  • Eat foods rich in fiber, like vegetables and whole grains

Follow Avidity Medical Design Blog for More Information

Overeating during the holidays has many health effects, but luckily, it’s avoidable. At Avidity Medical Design Blog, we have many helpful health articles. Besides, we sell scented candles and soap to improve mindfulness and wellness. Visit Avidity Medical Scentations for more information. To enroll in a healthcare course, visit Avidity Medical Design Academy.