Week 10
Non Food Celebrations and Rewards

We can easily associate happy memories and good feelings with the foods we enjoy at birthdays, weddings, holidays, and other celebrations. Some of us learned to give and receive love by buying, preparing, and giving candy, desserts, and other high calorie foods and beverages to others. If we are honest, some celebration foods aren’t the most loving thing we can give or receive, they are just tradition.

Most “special occasion” foods are readily available all year round and they are not reserved for holidays anymore. If you are in the process of making permanent healthy lifestyle changes, some of those excess calories may need to go. Think about ways you can gradually modify patterns of behavior to better support a healthy eating and exercise lifestyle. Several ideas are listed below to get you started.

Focus more on the event than on the food. If your celebrations and holiday parties are more about food and eating than anything else, make a conscious effort to redesign the focus. Emphasize the meaning with group activities, theme decorations, music and games and let food and eating be a minor part.

Replace a food tradition with a thoughtful calorie free tradition. Instead of going out to dinner - go dancing, skiing, swimming, or take part in something important to the person who is being honored. Instead of Valentine’s Day candy – give balloons, flowers, jewelry, or a home or personal accessory.

Ask why particular food traditions exist. Discuss making adjustments with those who are involved. Things to consider might include:

• Fewer courses or items on the menu.
• Modifying the time of day a meal is served.
• Modifying menu items or recipes for lower fat, more natural color, and fiber.
• Including more colorful salads and vegetables.
• Reducing portion size by altering the way food is prepared or served.

Build more active fun into gatherings with friends and family. Take a walk, play charades, have a foot race, play follow the leader, enjoy a team sport, or roll up the carpet to dance after supper.

Think of special non food rewards for children, friends, and yourself. It is second nature to give or withhold food as a reward or punishment. Planning ahead will make it easier to stop this practice. Examples might include:

• I’ll read you an extra story, let you stay up ten minutes longer, or let you go first
• Take a long walk, a hot bath, or get a manicure
• Treat someone to your time, a learning experience, a back rub, or a privilege
• Give a hug, a card, or note of praise

C. Joyce Kleffner
Hancock County Educator

Lose and Win is sponsored by Healthy Hancock, a coalition of organizations working together to improve the health of residents in Hancock County.

"The Bodacious Babes” from Hannaford were able to keep the victory stick that they received for week 8, "Tons of Fun" from Bucksport came in 2nd and "The Cream Puffs" from Deer Isle and "Just the 2 of Us" tied for third place honors “The Cream Puffs” held on to the lobster buoy for their second win in Stonington/Deer Isle.

"Tons of Fun" won the pink sneaker at the Ellsworth meeting, "The Southeast Shedders" won the sneaker in Deer Isle.

Statistics are now being collected in preparation for the ending celebration of the program with awards going to individuals and teams that have accumulated not only the most weight but also the most time spent on physical activity.