7 Ways to Use MealEnders To Resist Holiday Temptation

To avoid taste-testing the food as you prepare it.

When preparing for holiday festivities (or any meal, really), do you taste seemingly harmless bits and pieces of your dish, insidiously thwarting your weight loss goals?

Stop yourself from eating before the meal by popping a MealEnder in your mouth while you prepare appetizer plates.  Avoid extra calories from sampling cheese and crackers, nuts, chips and dip and other snack items.

Begin your plan to prevent ingesting while baking by pinpointing your weaknesses. Think of when you tend to sample baked goods.  Is it the batter or the final product that tempts you? Have a MealEnder on hand to occupy your mouth during those high risk times.

To steer clear of office treats.

Are you surrounded by your co-workers’ favorite holiday treats?  Is your office a minefield of chocolate, cookies and candied nuts?

Use MealEnders to resist temptation. Pop a lozenge in your mouth when you want to pass on your favorite treats or before attending a meeting with an array of high-calorie snacks.

To avoid overeating at holiday parties.

Keep your appetizers intake under control by eating only one or two and then using a MealEnder.
You can also use MealEnders to pace your alcohol intake.  Select a lower calorie holiday drink, such as a wine spritzer, and then have a MealEnder while sipping mineral water.

To eat healthfully during holiday lunches and dinners.

A hallmark of holiday celebrations is an extensive variety of food, and lots of it.  And of course, the more food options available to us, the more we eat. Luckily, you can use MealEnders to keep portions in check. Stick to one plate of food and assign half of it to salad and/or cooked vegetables, one quarter to a lean protein like turkey white meat (about four ounces or less), and one quarter of starches like potatoes or pasta (about a cup or less.)

And when it comes to dessert, it’s not all or nothing: you can limit yourself without outright elimination of dessert. Go for the 1:1 plan: select one dessert and have one serving, if you are staring down a dessert table overflowing with goodies, evaluate the options and select one. Save 350-500 calories by substituting a MealEnder and a calorie-free beverage, like tea or club soda, for that second slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

To eat a reasonable amount when dining at restaurants.

Any cause for celebration often gives us an excuse to eat out. While dining out is a great way to enjoy company without the hassle, restaurants pose several portion control dilemmas. The overflowing breadbasket can sabotage any weight loss effort one slice at a time; oversized portions can chip away at your attempt to eat only what you’re hungry for; and the dessert menu can seem almost impossible to resist.

So, how can you use MealEnders to navigate this situation? First, don’t arrive at the restaurant too hungry, have a piece of fruit on your way to the meal to keep your hunger in check.  Second, on your way to being seated at the table, put a MealEnder in your mouth.  Your mouth will be occupied while others indulge in the bread and butter on the table.  It will also be a helpful cue while you look at the menu, a reminder that holiday meals are more about being with friends and loved ones and less about the eating.Choose a lower calorie option, such as grilled fish, and enjoy the company.

Keep a MealEnder nearby so you have a tool to stop eating when you start to feel satisfied (rather than when your plate is empty). Need a visual cue?  Place it next to your plate of food so it’s easy to pop in your mouth when you are comfortably full.  Savor it while others order dessert and instead opt for a hot cup of tea or (decaf) coffee.

To skip snacking during screen time.

Who doesn’t love a good holiday movie? They’re timeless, seasonal classics, and a great way to ring in the holidays. But eating while distracted is one of the biggest offenses to your healthy lifestyle, and is nearly guaranteed to get you off track. So if you’re enjoying a movie or show with family or friends, don’t sit next to an oversized bag of chips, popcorn, candies, or whatever else your favorite movie food may be. Instead, portion out a small amount and allow yourself no more than that. Keep a MealEnder nearby so that once you’ve finished your allotted snack, you can pop it into your mouth and resist any further temptation.

To cut yourself some slack.

Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean being perfect 100 percent of the time. The holidays are for enjoyment, and you should be able to allow yourself to enjoy your favorite holiday foods.

In fact, by restricting certain foods outright, you may be doing more harm than good–after all, the forbidden fruit is always the most tempting. Instead, indulge, but with limitations, and set those limits before the food/drinks are in sight. Drink your favorite seasonal beverage, but don’t drink five. Take a few bites of dessert, but don’t eat the entire pie.

MealEnders are a great tool to help you stick to your self-imposed indulgence allowance. If you keep one
on-the-ready when faced with your favorite foods, you can give yourself that little holiday treat with confidence that you can stop yourself from going overboard.

Most importantly, make sure to relax and enjoy the holiday spirit. If you just focus on enjoying friends and family during this special time, rather than focusing on the food, you may just find that your portion control and healthy choices fall into place naturally. Happy holidays!