Yes, I promise. You don’t have to gain weight during the holidays and I am going to give you 3 strategies on how to do that this year. It is possible to start 2019 not having gained weight and possibly even losing a few pounds!
Let’s face it. You’ve probably been seeing candy and treats around since before Halloween and now it’s everywhere – at home, at the office, and in the stores. Only now it’s probably Christmas candy. It seems food and treats are everywhere. And it’s only going to get worse in the next couple of months.
Really when we talk about the holidays and eating, it starts before Halloween and doesn’t end until after January 1. Right? By the time January 1 rolls around, you have put on a few pounds. The average person puts on up to 5 pounds during the last couple of months of the year.
So let this year be different!
Here we go. What is your goal this year? To gain, maintain or lose? Write that down. You are going to make a commitment to accomplish your goal this year. This year is going to be different. That will be your theme.
Here are common problems encountered during the holidays and strategies to help you overcome them.
Problem #1. During the “holidays,” do you usually give yourself permission to eat what ever you want, because it’s the holidays? Basically, do you tell yourself, well, it’s once a year?
Strategy: Make a list of the specific holidays you observe, (e.g. Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Kwanza, New Years…) Out of that 2 1/2 months, there may be less than 7 holidays you actually observe. Decide and commit to yourself, this year you will allow yourself to indulge in special meals or food only on those specific holidays. Quit giving yourself free reign to overeat the rest of the time.
Problem#2. Your tell yourself “it’s what we always do or what we always have.” For example, my sister makes an amazing sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving. It’s delicious and honestly, it tastes like dessert. The temptation is to overeat it. Let me offer you this: If you do what you’ve always done, you are going to get the same result. And that is to gain weight.
Strategy: Be willing to do it differently this year. Maybe you fix yourself a simple sweet potato instead. Maybe you skip it and have your favorite pie for dessert. Believe me, no one will notice. If you do have it, have one small serving and eat only until you are satisfied. Maybe skip the pie. Just don’t use the excuse, “but we always have this on Thanksgiving.”
Problem#3. You feel pressure from others. Your mom makes special dessert on Thanksgiving or your friends are having a cookie exchange. They say, “Aren’t you going to try some?” You are thinking to yourself, I better have some or I am going to hurt their feelings. Just remember, those are your thoughts and your thoughts create your own feelings and actions. You can change them. Always!
Strategy: Instead, this year you are going to say to yourself, “This year I am choosing something different for myself.” You can simply and politely say, “no, thank you.” You don’t have to give a reason why, but you can choose to give them a reason. “I’m not doing sugar this year or I am really trying to lose weight,” are perfectly acceptable. Just be sure and thank them and be gracious. Remember, you are doing things differently this year and you have a goal in mind – maintaining or even losing!
Want to hear more about the possible problems you encounter during the holidays and the strategies to counteract them? Listen in to a Facebook Live I did this week on this topic here.
If you would like to have a conversation with me about your weight loss challenges and some strategies you can put into action today, contact me here. I’d love to talk with you!
Have a wonderful holiday season and have the outcome you want!
Jane
If you want to get some amazing help and tips on losing weight, check out this podcast by my coach mentor, Brenda Lomeli.
Jane Springer is a certified Life, Wellness and Style Coach who assists women in taking care of themselves, in body, mind and spirit. She coaches women who want to lose weight, avoid diabetes, and feel great. She also helps them thrive after divorce. She also helps them to clear their closets of old clothes and outdated attitudes, so they can shine and feel confident.