Caution: Holidays Ahead
emilym820
Posts: 993 Member
As we all know, the holidays are upon us. With them come the dreaded food pushers, cookie swaps, countless parties, gatherings, potlucks, and more. I am sure for many, this was usually a season of blissful feasting on anything and everything with plans to start over on January 1st. What are we going to do to make sure that we don't fall into those habits? I have a few strategies that I have been kicking around and I'd love to see if any of you have others that I'd like to adopt.
1. Just say no to food pushers. My grandma is an epic food pusher. She is an amazing cook and has never had a weight issue, so she just doesn't understand the struggle. She loves to have you sample some of her delicious baked items and then to tell you how you should lose weight. This year I am going to sample only what I want to and if she says something to me about losing weight I am going to tell her that I've got treats planned into my day and she doesn't need to worry about it.
2. One bite test. When a treat crosses my past, I am going to take 1 small bite and really savor it. If I think that treat is worth finishing, I will. If it isn't amazing, I will throw the rest away. No more eating mediocre things just because they are there.
3. I am going to say no. I am not going to be overwhelmed by doing everything I am asked to do. If I don't want to go to a party, I will graciously decline the invite. If I don't have time to do a volunteer project, I will regretfully pass. Holidays are about enjoying time with your family and celebrating Jesus. Not running yourself to death to a million activities that you don't even want to participate in.
4. I am going to focus more on activity traditions and less on food for our whole family. No more advent house full of candy for the kids. Each day will have an activity we can do together such as making Christmas cards, driving around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights, dancing to Christmas music, buying a toy to donate, writing a letter to Santa, etc.
5. I am going to make sure that I exercise at least 3 times a week, no matter what else I have going on. Let's face it...I'm not going to get through the holidays without eating some junk. I need to make sure that I'm getting my workouts in so that I have more calories to work with. This will also help me to not get into an unhealthy rut and lose focus.
6. I am going to set realistic expectations. Is it possible to continue to lose 2 or more pounds a week through the holidays? Yes, but if it realistic for me? Probably not. My goal is to keep losing, but more importantly, to keep my diary up and to keep exercising. When I get a little out of hand, I want to put it down and move forward. Fibbing on my diary only hurts me. As long as I continue to move in a positive direction, I am not going to beat myself up. I am also not going to obsess over calories so much that I am not able to enjoy this special time with my family.
So....what ideas do you guys have? I need all the help I can get!
1. Just say no to food pushers. My grandma is an epic food pusher. She is an amazing cook and has never had a weight issue, so she just doesn't understand the struggle. She loves to have you sample some of her delicious baked items and then to tell you how you should lose weight. This year I am going to sample only what I want to and if she says something to me about losing weight I am going to tell her that I've got treats planned into my day and she doesn't need to worry about it.
2. One bite test. When a treat crosses my past, I am going to take 1 small bite and really savor it. If I think that treat is worth finishing, I will. If it isn't amazing, I will throw the rest away. No more eating mediocre things just because they are there.
3. I am going to say no. I am not going to be overwhelmed by doing everything I am asked to do. If I don't want to go to a party, I will graciously decline the invite. If I don't have time to do a volunteer project, I will regretfully pass. Holidays are about enjoying time with your family and celebrating Jesus. Not running yourself to death to a million activities that you don't even want to participate in.
4. I am going to focus more on activity traditions and less on food for our whole family. No more advent house full of candy for the kids. Each day will have an activity we can do together such as making Christmas cards, driving around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights, dancing to Christmas music, buying a toy to donate, writing a letter to Santa, etc.
5. I am going to make sure that I exercise at least 3 times a week, no matter what else I have going on. Let's face it...I'm not going to get through the holidays without eating some junk. I need to make sure that I'm getting my workouts in so that I have more calories to work with. This will also help me to not get into an unhealthy rut and lose focus.
6. I am going to set realistic expectations. Is it possible to continue to lose 2 or more pounds a week through the holidays? Yes, but if it realistic for me? Probably not. My goal is to keep losing, but more importantly, to keep my diary up and to keep exercising. When I get a little out of hand, I want to put it down and move forward. Fibbing on my diary only hurts me. As long as I continue to move in a positive direction, I am not going to beat myself up. I am also not going to obsess over calories so much that I am not able to enjoy this special time with my family.
So....what ideas do you guys have? I need all the help I can get!
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