Intentionally Eating Through the Holidays
Intentionally Eating Through the Holidays
Change is scary. You know the routine and the thought of change can be overwhelming. Sometimes (most of the time), we deal with that fear by delaying the change. “I’ll eat healthy Jan 1st”, “I’ll focus on working out after Thanksgiving. I’m too busy now.” Have you ever told yourself that? I have!
I can’t remember the last January 1st that I didn’t have a New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Of course, by waiting until January, it would give me the freedom to binge over the holidays. I would eat something terribly unhealthy and reassure myself that come January, it’s all gonna change. When January would roll around, I had changed for a few days, but couldn’t keep the diet up. Does that sound familiar?
If you want to read more about my unhealthy habits and
how I changed my ways for good, check out my book –
If it’s not January 1, its Monday. Right? I’ll start clean on Monday and that thought allows us to eat everything in sight all weekend. I don’t know about yo, but I would find myself eating things I really didn’t care for, just because I wasn’t going to get it come Monday or January 1.
Dieting doesn’t have to be like that.
You don’t have to deny yourself.
If you want to make a change, if you are ready to make a change, whether it’s weight loss, bad habits, or moving more, it’s best not to put it off. That delay and time spent bingeing and/or avoiding the change will only make it more difficult and overwhelming when that “due date” comes around.
If you aren’t ready to start a healthy living plan, admit it and stop beating yourself up for it. What if you maintained through the holidays? Doesn’t that thought lift a weight off your shoulders?
If you need more motivation this season look here!
Let’s be realistic, are we going to skip holiday desserts? Are we going to turn down Aunt Louise’s pumpkin pie? NO, we aren’t.
Here’s the steps we used to do:
- Tell ourselves that we were going to skip dessert (insert whatever food calls your name)
- Cave and eat it
- Beat ourselves up for eating it
- Swear to start fresh on Mon, Jan 1, the next day, etc
- Eat everything in sight because it’s not Mon, Jan 1, the next day, etc., yet.
Here’s the Intentionally Eating through the Holidays steps:
- Eat as many vegetables and fruit as possible so you are nourished
- Eat a small amount of dessert (insert your food of choice)
- Enjoy it.
My Intentionally Eating Through the Holidays mantra is –
I don’t have to overeat, there will be another meal.
That frees me from stuffing myself silly and feeling horrible, both physically and mentally. I can eat some, savor it, enjoy it and stop. There will be another meal. It’s okay. That’s Intentionally Eating.
Happy Holidays,
Cindy
