Boulevard, December 2009
Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum

When someone says, “I’ll take the lesser of two evils” or truly believes that they are “Damned if you do or damned if you don’t,” that is probably the person who is going to gain weight during the holiday season. Feeling doomed before you even begin is a common problem, especially among those who find it difficult to manage their weight and take care of themselves.

I frequently have a conversation about the eating plan during this time of year. Inevitably, it leads to negotiation: “I will only have one cookie, so I can eat a little extra turkey …” This odd rationalization is intended to make oneself feel better, when it is simply a case of self-sabotage. I recently read a brilliant statement: “Getting healthy is not a punishment. It is a gift.” Getting healthy by not overeating isn’t punishment; it is learning how to take care of yourself.

So much about this is simply reframing what is going on. What happened to “Just do it” or “The time is now”? We negotiate between our brains and our minds, our hearts and our souls, between knowing what is best for us and knowing what we want. Holiday time is a time for celebration, being with friends and family, and enjoying the parties, the dinners, the gatherings. Culturally, food is just a part of the party, so I would say the best strategy is to plan ahead rather than allowing a little indulgence to create an extra 10 pounds by January.
Recently, a younger patient of mine who was seeing me for an irregularity in her heartbeat came on a day when she was feeling healthy. It is always a treat to see people when they are at their best, as I often see them only when they are feeling sick. Like many entering this holiday season, on top of the typical stresses she had recently lost her job. Being a stress-eater, we talked about her holiday eating strategy, and, specifically, identifying her emotional triggers so she could manage them prior to indulging and increasing her weight, cholesterol and blood pressure, possibly triggering her abnormal heart rhythm. I suggested a way we could reframe her habits so she could sit at the table and celebrate all the joy of the season and things to be thankful for.
Instead of tackling the big diet plan that fails year after year, plan to do one thing to change how you handle each eating situation. Drink a glass of water before eating to decrease your appetite, skip the eggnog, don’t add extra salt, have just a bite of dessert and enjoy your progress and the self-care you are providing. It can be simple if you can simplify the eating plan.
In my patient’s eyes, I saw a glimmer of empowerment over her health. I asked her if she thought an eating plan with small changes was something she could accomplish. She replied, “Walking down the street without feeling like I am going to pass out makes the rest of my life seem pretty manageable.”
Simply said…Just do it.