#1: Lying to Yourself
Here’s a pop quiz”¦ how many times has the following strategy worked for you? “I’ll just have one.” (Yep, that’s what I thought.)
We tell ourselves lots of lies during the holidays – from “I can afford this,” to “I’ll just have one cookie,” to “calories don’t count for food I only get to have once a year.” How ’bout this one? “Creamed spinach is the same as regular spinach.” Or”¦ “Mashed potatoes counts toward my vegetable servings.” Nope. Just, no.
It actually IS possible to indulge without the bulge – but it takes strategy and tools. Want to learn how to party smart without paying for it later? Join our holiday classes specifically geared to guiding you through the tricky holiday season!
#2: Spreading Yourself Too Thin & Over committing
People expect a lot of things during the holidays. But expectations, by definition, are not reality – unless we allow them to shape our reality. We expect to be overindulging, overspending, being merry (often too merry), wasting time in crazy mall lines, and generally feeling holi-dazed.
We expect to run around feeling like a turkey with it’s head cut off, skipping meals, not getting enough sleep, making emotionally-charged food choices, and making too many trips to Starbucks.
So guess what? When you expect to have that experience, that’s what you get. Wake up and smell the eggnog, people!
During that special time of year when we all spread ourselves too thin financially, physically and emotionally, give yourself the most extravagant gift – permission to say “No.” To social engagements, over eating and over drinking – whatever it is that you feel pressure to do but deep down, don’t really want to do. Pinpoint your priorities. Think about how to budget – not just $$, but your energy, time and emotional resources.
Lots of people think of weight gain as tied to social engagements, but often it’s more tied up with emotional state. (So if you find yourself waking up from a stressed out daze with cookie crumbs on your face and no memory of how they got there – it’s time to chill out and take a bubble bath.)
#3: Setting Yourself Up to Fail
One way we set ourselves up to fail during the holidays is by conveniently forgetting what works to keep us on track the other 10 months of the year. This isn’t the time to reinvent the wheel. One of the most important reminders we can give you? Don’t stop planning. (Remember: failing to plan is planning to”¦well, you know.)
- Eat before a party. Going into a tempting environment hungry is not a great strategy.
- Keep your fridge stocked with green veggies. If you don’t have good stuff around, there’s no way you’ll be able to make good choices.
- Plan for Plan B – keep emergency foods on hand, like hard boiled eggs, carrots & hummus, PaleoBars, jerky, etc.
- Don’t skip meals. Ever.
- Start every day with a protein-rich breakfast. Shakes are perfect for busy peeps. Try the pumpkin pie shake!
Even if you don’t use your healthy living tools at every opportunity, don’t put the blinders on and let other people’s food and booze behavior influence or dictate your own. Let them be the ones that have to start January with an extra 15 pounds – not you.
And one final point before we leave you… don’t set yourself up to fail this holiday season by telling yourself: “It’s no use, I’ll gain weight anyway.” Guess what: the holidays don’t have to be all or nothing, feast or famine, deprivation or excess. It’s possible to enjoy responsibly. Not sure how to do that? Come to our special holiday classes!