In 2016, I wrote & published a book titled From Depressed to Fit & Free http://

www.prosperityhealthandwellness.com/fit-and-free-book.html and have since written a 90 Day Chal-

lenge curriculum http://www.prosperityhealthandwellness.com/90-day-challenge.html that enables oth-

ers to live a life free from the bondage of overeating, and victory in creating a healthy lifestyle for them-

selves that empowers them to lead lives that are strong, healthy, and prosperous physically, mentally,

emotionally, and spiritually. Here is one of my clients’ favorite lessons from this program:

How To Survive Any Holiday or Special Occasion WITHOUT

Gaining a Pound or Blowing Your Diet!

• DECIDE IN ADVANCE you will NOT overeat.

• DECIDE IN ADVANCE you will exercise self con-

trol.

• DECIDE IN ADVANCE no amount of food is worth

sacrificing your health, nor is it worth sacrificing

the progress you've made thus far and THEN...

• Survey all the food available. Choose 3-5 entrees

that are most appealing to you. Realize you don't

need to taste everything; just the foods you are

most drawn to.

• Take no more than 3-5 portions of food, keeping in

mind the "salad plate" mentality. (In other words, eat

on a salad sized plate rather than a dinner sized plate.)

Realize that you need to save room for dessert.

• Don't worry about what KINDS of food you're eating;

just be very cognizant of HOW MUCH food you are

eating.

• Eat slowly (remember all of yesterday's tips on how to

eat with control). Enjoy the PEOPLE at your special oc-

casion or family holiday MORE than you enjoy the

food.

• As you realize you are approaching fullness, STOP EAT-

ING because you want to save room for dessert!!!

• Try to eat on a 9-inch plate instead of a 12-14 inch

plate. The larger your plate, the more likely you will

feel you need to fill it.

• Choose 2-3 dessert entrees; choose only the ones that

look most appealing to you. Remember that you want

your dessert to fit on a coffee saucer or very small des-

sert plate.

• Honestly, you don't need more than 4-6 bites of des-

sert to satisfy your sweet tooth. Eat slowly, savor eve-

ry bite, then push it away and get rid of it when you

are full.

• Surviving a holiday or special occasion is MOSTLY

ABOUT CONTROLLING HOW MUCH YOU EAT, not be-

ing overly concerned with WHAT you're eating.

• If you have cleaned up your normal daily nutrition, its

not going to kill your diet to eat 1-2 meals of richer

foods.

• HOWEVER, you can easily gain 3-5 pounds in just one

weekend, or even one day, of gluttonous overeating

with no regard to portion control or restraint.

• Personally, I employ these strategies at every birthday

party, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and wedding… And

never gain weight from attending these events!