Oh, the holidays. So many of us think about this time of the year with all the decadent meals and parties and figure we are better off throwing in the towel and restarting on January 1st. But does it have to be that way?
Here’s the reality of November and December:
- Thanksgiving is 1 meal.
- Christmas Eve / Christmas Day is 4 meals.
- New Year’s Eve is 1 meal.
- Holiday parties between 2-5 meals.
Total Holiday meals = 8-11 meals
If you start counting from November 20th through the end of the year, there are 42 days. Multiply each of those days by 3 meals and you have 126 meals. Subtract those 8-11 indulgent, celebratory meals and that’s 115 meals to make regular food choices that fuel your body well. That’s 115 meals that can move you forward towards your weight loss goal.
Here are five tips for weight loss during the holidays:
1 – Set your mindset and intention for the rest of the year.
On January 1st when you look back at the holiday season, how do you want to feel? This is a great place to start is deciding how you want to show up during this time. Maybe you want to feel proud, loved, amazed, joyful or grateful. I teach my clients that our thoughts are what create our feelings which affect the actions we take in life. So start with a thought to carry throughout the holiday season as your mantra.
Proud – I’m capable of balancing health, self care and holiday festivities.
Loved – I’m surrounded by so many people that I love and that love me however food is not love.
Amazed – I am continuing to rock weight loss even during the holiday season!
Joyful – I love finding the joyful, non-food moments during this holiday season and cherishing them.
Grateful – No matter what the year offered, I am blessed to be here surrounded by love.
2 – Plan for and create desire around your indulgences.
This time of the year is well known for decadent foods, endless sweets and merry making by the glass full. So many of us think that these tasty foods are foods that we can only eat once a year….but is that really true? This thought isn’t very dangerous unless you are using it as another excuse to give permission to gorge yourself on it. If you are finding this is the case, simply remind yourself that you are a grown adult that can afford to buy or make whatever you want, whenever you want it.
That same thought can be used to create more desire and excitement to savor certain foods. Be mindful that Christmas holds such a place of excitement in our hearts because it only comes once a year. If we had Christmas every day, people would get really tired of the parties, wrapping presents and decking the halls quickly. Instead of eating the sugar cookies morning, noon and night, practice being intentional and waiting a bit to indulge in them. Maybe you have a special date with yourself in the afternoon with a hot cup of coffee and a cookie. Make it special. Make it count. Make it something to really look forward to and savor that moment.
Likewise be particular about which indulgence you want to enjoy and when. Not every party needs to mean eating decadent appetizers, desserts and drinking alcohol. Be selective. Christmas Eve with your parents will be the time you enjoy those amazing meatballs but abstain from alcohol. The office work party will be your time to eat your coworkers famous English toffee. The Moms Club Christmas party is when you will toast the night with a glass of wine with your girls. Another great option is to choose certain times when you want to enjoy these items. Maybe you want to only have drinks at one event on weekends only. You could also limit sweets to Tuesday nights with the kids. Then the rest of the time you focus on regular eating to keep your body feeling at its best.
3 – Create a Party Protocol
Holiday parties can be a huge hurdle when you are trying to lose weight. Most of the time you don’t know what will be served (except that it will for sure not be calorie free food) and many times the entire group activity is eating, drinking and chatting with each other. So many of us go in hoping we’ll make OK food choices only to leave the party regretting that we didn’t wear stretchy pants.
My grandfather had a saying “Put your hopes in one hand, spit in the other and see which one fills up first.” And it’s true! Hoping you make good food choices isn’t helpful. Your brain needs more clear instructions on what to do. So make a party protocol!
Here are some ideas that you could incorporate into your own party protocol:
- Start with a plate of fruits and veggies first.
- Wait one hour after you arrive before getting an alcoholic or non-water drink.
- Go around and talk to everyone at the party first before making a plate to eat.
- Leave empty space on your plate between all foods.
- Limit yourself to one plate, including any sweets.
- Alternate between water and alcohol/non-water beverage.
- Don’t try everything. Ask around what everyone is enjoying and take the top three raved about foods.
- Try everything. Serve yourself one bite of everything. Only go back for more of your favorite item.
- Every plate is half fruits or veggies.
Don’t let your brain try to tell you that you’re being restrictive. Our brains LOVE to throw a fit when it feels like it’s not getting what it wants. Be ready to talk back to your brain and tell it “I’m choosing to enjoy the party this way. No one is making me do this. I made this plan and I want to see what happens when I follow through.”
4 – Move your body.
The end of the year can feel very frantic with a list of to-dos, places to go and people to visit. Even through all of that, it is important to remember to move your body. For some that might look like rigorous HIIT workouts or lifting weights. For others it might be dancing the night away at a party or taking a quick 5-minute walk down the street. Whatever it is make an intentional plan to move your body a little each day. The release of endorphins helps keep you feeling good through a stressful time of the year. It’s the perfect gift to give yourself each and every day.
5 – Don’t throw in the towel
This may seem like an obvious tip but so many people choose to throw in the towel because it is just too hard to “be good” during the holidays. After your first overeat, you decide that you messed it all up so why bother. You’ll just start on January 1st. Listen, no one is saying you have to lose weight during the holidays. Maintenance is a great option too. But those who aim for January 1st are often giving themselves permission to eat anything they want because the smack down is coming. Don’t be this person. It never ends well.
You can always make a good choice and start over at any time. It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday, last week or three years ago. What really matters is what you are willing to do right now in this moment. So find something small that you are willing to do that doesn’t take much effort. Maybe you can take a few sips of water, go for a five minute walk or throw out your last bite of food. You just need something small that is movement in the right direction. A small win. Then look for another small win. Before you know it, these smalls wins will accumulate into larger wins and have feeling like you are back on track and capable of reaching your goals. So make a promise to yourself that you won’t throw in the towel and wait for January 1st. There is too much valuable time between then and now.
Happy Holidays!
Your Coach,
Andrea