Good morning! ‘Tis the season for many, many good things. If this season also greets you with tough emotions and complex feelings, for whatever reason, I’m sending you extra cheer and serenity. 🫂 May you truly find merriment, brightness, and peace in these next few weeks!

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Out of sight, out of mind

Ahh, it’s that time of year. The scent of sugar cookies drifts in from the oven. There’s leftover pie in the fridge and a peppermint mocha calling your name down the street. The abundance of seasonal chocolates, candies, sweets, & pastries tempts you from every direction. What’s a guy to do if he just wants to stay healthy through the holidays??

Year-round, but especially this time of year, I try to practice a little technique called “Out of sight, out of mind” to avoid sweet temptations at every corner. Because—trust me—my insatiable sweet tooth will force me to eat just about anything in sight if I’m in a vulnerable state when the cravings hit!

How it works:

Best Case Scenario: Don’t buy any sweets (or whatever your greatest temptation is) to keep in the house. If it’s not there, you can’t eat it. Or at least you have to go out of your way to acquire it. This way, you can stay consistent on your diet at home but not fear when you’re out at a restaurant or party and encounter those delicious holiday treats. You can indulge without any guilt or fear of derailing progress. They are called “treats,” not “staples,” after all. Not bringing sweets into your home will make them that much more special when they’re around.

Good Case Scenario: Okay, so you bought some sweets or treats. I certainly can’t blame you. Some of these blessed delicacies only come around once a year.

• (One of my personal favorites is Reese’s Miniatures in the green, red, and gold wrappers. Because they’re seasonal, they’re fresher and have that perfect little crunch in the chocolate shell that is to die for.) 🤤 

My suggestion now is to place your treats—whether it’s chocolate candies, cookies you baked, etc.—out of eyesight. You shouldn’t be able to see them just by walking in the room. This means they can go in a drawer, cabinet, or behind something in the fridge. You’d be amazed at how much more slowly you’ll go through them!

• If appealing sweets are the first thing your eyes are drawn to when you walk in the kitchen, it’s going to be hard to resist. You’re making it too easy to indulge at a time and in quantities that you didn’t plan to.

• By storing them out of sight, you have to actively think “Oh yeah, I have those! I think I’ll go get one.” It seems subtle, but the effects are significant.

Other Tips:

When you do indulge, please just enjoy it! I don’t know your relationship with food, but I bet it might be complex and nuanced and tied to some feelings or judgments you wish weren’t there. This strategy can help keep that relationship healthy.

Check the serving size! Often, servings of sweets are just 100–200, maybe 300 calories. But the problem is, rarely do we only eat one serving. Actually consume just one serving and check in with yourself after.

• Do you want to keep going back for more? The 10th or 20th bite is rarely, if ever, as satisfying at the first.

• Odds are, you’ve satisfied your craving with just a hundred calories or two and can move on with your day, rather than eating three servings and feeling sluggish and guilty afterward.

The alternative to leaving your sweets out: Leave out fresh produce! (only that which shouldn’t be refrigerated, of course). Researchers have even conducted studies on this. If it’s out and easy to grab, you’re more likely to eat it.

• So while your sweet sugar plums are nestled in their cabinet beds, display those apples, bananas, oranges, almonds, etc. for all to see. When you walk by these healthy foods, you can always grab and eat them guilt-free, knowing you can scavenge for your sweets later if the cravings persist. 

• Americans waste something like one third of the groceries that come into our houses. Usually in the form of spoiled food or uneaten leftovers, that’s ⅓ of our grocery budget and nutrients in the trash. One of the greatest ways you can reduce your food waste is by keeping your fresh food visible and easily accessible—especially that which is set to expire soon. 

  • You can even freeze some of those baked goods (or produce) to prolong their lifespan. Thanks, How to Money, for this reminder!

Bottom Line

Try the “out of sight, out of mind” method with your holiday treats. This doesn’t mean you can’t have them; it just means they’re not screaming at you like the Gingerbread Man yelling at Lord Farquaad.

Without cookies, cakes, and chocolates lining your counters, you might just find that the barrier of having to scavenge for your treats is enough to keep you from accidentally overindulging, while actually savoring your holiday favorites with gratitude and intentionality.

✅ Take Action

Every newsletter's Take Action section will invite you to take small steps to improve your health. Recognizing that we all have different capabilities, I'll offer three different levels of action you can choose to take.

Level 1: If you have any of your indulgent treats out now, find a place to hide them from yourself.

Level 2: After you put the sweets away, replace them with healthier snacks like seasonal fruits & nuts.

Level 3: Don’t buy those sweet treats to bring into your home in the first place! Just remind yourself that you’ll encounter plenty of them out and about this holiday season, anyway.

This newsletter is brought to you by… me!

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✍️ Drew's Picks:

• Listen: This episode of All the Hacks: Fitness and Mental Strength with Robin Arzón (Head Instructor at Peloton).

  • With her being an absolute Peloton beast, I expected her advice to be cardio-centric. Spoiler alert: it was not! She quickly touted the immense importance of resistance training and has a very well-rounded approach to training and life!

• Listen: Caffeine: How much is too much?

  • This episode of Science Vs was very informative, evidence-based, and fun. Don’t be afraid of caffeine! Just maybe don’t go crazy and drink 6 bottles of Prime in a day.

Peace out, pals. If you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, give me the best Christmas gift you could possibly bestow: Share it with a friend and ask them to subscribe! 🌟 

Keep moving,

Drew

The content in Move to Improve is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. It is always a good idea to consult with a trusted health professional before making any major lifestyle changes that could have a significant impact on your health. This is not a medical resource, and any opinions and articles are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional. Please think critically and take what I say with a grain of salt (aka don’t sue me).