Four Tips For Navigating This Holiday Season Like a Weight Loss Boss
For many people, the holiday season is a battle between “what they want now”, versus “what they want most”. We want to be light, lean, and healthy, but we find ourselves wanting ALL the food that accompanies holiday traditions and festivities. There’s a way to become empowered this holiday season by changing our perspective.
I’ve created a list of four ways you can shift your thinking around food this holiday season that will help you to not only enjoy yourself, but to also make yourself proud, by staying focused on what you truly desire for yourself.
Remind yourself that you’re not a victim of “the holidays”. We can use the holidays as an opportunity to work on understanding (not giving into) our desire for immediate gratification while, at the same time, growing in our ability to stay focused on the bigger picture. We are growing in self-compassion and courage when we do this.
Remind yourself to love reality. This time of year brings a lot of unwanted desire with it. It’s OK. Your desire is OK. Relax and give yourself time to weigh it all out and make great decisions for yourself. If you don’t feel great about your decision, assess the situation without judgement, and try again.
Remind yourself that holiday food is not the enemy. Some food works for us in the long term, and some food does not. When you stop resisting food, notice how your desire diminishes.
Remind yourself that you can choose to eat holiday food in a way that serves your long term goals by planning ahead of time. Plan a day for your “exception meal” to eat food you normally wouldn’t choose or drink alcohol. Decide what you’ll have and how much. If you get to the point of satiety before you eat/ drink what you planned, stop eating/ drinking. Stay in tune with your internal hunger/ satiety cues and honor them.
These four tips will help you to become empowered in the struggle between your desire for immediate gratification and the desire for the long term satisfaction that comes with accomplishing what we truly want for ourselves. If you would like additional support in navigating weight loss this holiday season, contact me to sign up for a mini coaching session: lparkes@lightenup4ever.com. I’m glad to listen to your particular situation and help you come up with a detailed strategy.