How to Feel Less Stressed About Weight Gain and Overeating on Thanksgiving

For most people, Thanksgiving is all about the big meal. The turkey, which can be roasted, smoked, brined, or fried, and sides, followed by pies (yes, several—pecan? pumpkin? apple?), usually make for a buffet with plenty to choose from. While many people can enjoy this abundance without much trouble, focusing on food during the holidays and encouraging friends and family to eat more than usual can also trigger anxiety in others. But when it comes to your health, is there any reason to be concerned about overeating during the holidays?

What is overeating? What are the negative side effects?

When we talk about overeating, we often mean “eating past the point of comfortable satiety,” says Brenna O’Malley, nutritionist and founder of Wellful.

In the short term, overeating can cause the following symptoms:

In the short term, most symptoms of overeating disappear. However, chronic overeating can cause a number of health problems.

One risk of chronic overeating is that it can lead to insulin resistance. When your blood sugar levels rise, such as when you eat too much, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that helps move glucose from your blood into your cells for energy. Insulin resistance means that cells do not accept the glucose that insulin tries to release, which can lead to weight gain and fatigue. If left untreated, insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes, which must be managed with medication, diet and lifestyle changes.

Chronic overeating can also cause you to no longer understand your hunger signals, thanks to something called leptin resistance. Leptin is the hormone that regulates our hunger and energy and helps us know when to stop eating. However, if we regularly eat too much, the production of this hormone becomes unbalanced. This can ultimately cause us to eat more and gain weight because we don’t know our stomach is full.

If we eat too much on a regular basis, we may also not be providing our bodies with enough of the right nutrition. For example, it may be easier to eat too much sweets, which have little nutritional value and no hungry elements like protein or fiber, than to eat too much protein or vegetables. Not giving your body the nutrients it needs puts you at risk for things like elevated triglycerides, which can occur when you eat too many refined carbohydrates or sugars.

Overeating and mental health

Often the reaction to overeating is both mental and physical. “Sometimes an internal dialogue arises that includes feelings of shame or guilt. You might be thinking, ‘Oh no, what’s going to happen now that I eat too much?'” says O’Malley.

Even though our brains are convinced that eating a large meal – or even several large meals in a short period of time – could have catastrophic effects on our bodies, that’s not the case. Nutritionist Marissa Meshulam says that while continuous overeating over a month can lead to weight gain, “research shows that most of us don’t gain even a pound this time of year.”

“It’s important to remember that weight gain doesn’t happen in one meal or even one day or weekend,” she says. “No meal can make or break anything.”

Joel Totoro, director of exercise science at Thorne Research, says that while it’s easy to look at our food consumption on a daily and even meal-by-meal basis, our bodies can “adapt to ups and downs in the short term.” Expression.”

“I look at averages over months and years, not daily fluctuations in total food consumed,” he explains.

The holidays are about more than just food

It’s important to remember that holiday eating isn’t just about calories. “In addition to providing energy and nutrients for our livelihood, food and meals also have a social component,” Totoro adds. “The Christmas season is a time for celebration, socializing and enjoying unique culinary experiences. Food is not only fuel, but also a cultural and social link. Sharing a meal with loved ones can increase well-being and contribute to a sense of community, which are essential aspects of a healthy lifestyle.”

O’Malley says when we think about the holidays, it’s best to “zoom out a little” and remember the bigger picture. One meal, or even a series of meals, doesn’t have much of an impact on our lifestyle, especially as we return to our normal routines after the holidays. This may be hard to understand when you see big changes on the scale, but O’Malley reminds us that our weight can fluctuate by up to eight pounds throughout the day due to fluid retention and hormones.

How we can feel less stressed when we eat too much

Still, O’Malley knows that for some people, the holidays can be a challenging time when it comes to food, not just because of fear of overeating, but because the holidays change our routines. Even though there may be a big meal at the end of the day, she recommends eating “something hearty in the morning” so you don’t go hungry and tend to eat beyond your comfort level.

Overeating is often associated with stepping out of our routines. While it may not be realistic — or desirable — to adapt the holiday menu to something more in line with what you normally enjoy, O’Malley recommends “adding things that feel familiar to our typical routine.” This can include healthy, fun exercise: If you normally work out at the gym but are visiting family over the holidays, taking a walk (with or away from your family) can help you “feel good” – without relying on that Concentrate on eating.

Totoro says you can even “incorporate some physical activity into these holiday celebrations,” whether it’s “backyard football on Thanksgiving, a walk with the family after dinner, or even dancing the night away” to enrich the social aspects of the season.

O’Malley reminds us that it’s important to view the holidays not as a time of self-indulgent indulgence, but rather as a time of year when you can “spend time with people you love and eat foods that remind you of people or traditions.” ”

🦃 Devour, devour! More Thanksgiving Readings:

• Thanksgiving is about friends, family and food, and 39% of people say they worry about eating too much. Treat yourself responsibly! (Yahoo Life)

• Beware of foodborne illnesses and leftovers. (Yahoo Life)

• Thanksgiving turkey can be brined, smoked, roasted, deep-fried, or grilled. What is the healthiest way to cook it? (Yahoo Life)

• As Charlie Brown once said, “We have another holiday to worry about.” It seems Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner.” Here’s how to watch Peanuts. (Yahoo Entertainment)

• For parents: Find out about dealing with picky eaters, politics at the kids’ table, learning about holiday history, and more. (Yahoo Life)

• Avoid these stressful Thanksgiving conversation topics. However, when they show up, you’ve come to the right place. (Yahoo Life)

• We asked chefs for the best boxed cornbread mix — and there was a clear winner. (Yahoo Life Shopping)

• Cuts, burns, stress, oh my god. This is why some people end up in the emergency room on Thanksgiving. (Yahoo Life)