Mary Morris

Contributing Writer

With Thanksgiving behind us and the winter holidays around the corner, many of us are wondering how we can possibly find the room in our already bulging bellies for round two. Considering the season of giving is upon us, I am here to offer the gift of eating advice.

Have you ever starved yourself all day for that Friendly’s 12 Scoop Challenge or holiday meal? This is the first major no-no! When prepping yourself for the meal of a lifetime, it is pivotal to snack throughout the day. This keeps your stomach at its full size, while going the day without eating actually shrinks it so that you cannot enjoy the meal to its maximum capacity.

Some people might tell you that you can’t sprint a marathon; these people are wrong. In order to appropriately enjoy the holiday meals, it is imperative that once you begin eating, you do not slow down until you are done. Eating slowly allows your body to realize what it has consumed and you will feel full faster than you want to. In order to beat your body at its own game you have to eat faster than the speed of self-control.

The last rule is that you must eat until you think your pants are going to explode. Once at that point, you must move on to the second course. This pattern of indulgence continues until everything from the appetizers to the dessert has been tasted, enjoyed and gobbled. Sure it might sound simple or even absurd, but the holiday meal is not for the faint of heart.

Next to the Olympics, the holiday meal season is the next greatest test of the human spirit and ability to come together. As we gather around in the spirit of the holidays, loving our families and stuffing our gullets with secret recipes, remember to eat like a champion and you, too, can have 22 gold medals.