Are holiday events difficult for you? Chances are you fall victim to the same traps over and over again.
- Do you skimp too much on dinner then lose it at the dessert table?
- Do you eat a dozen hors d’oeuvres before the real meal even starts?
Try to anticipate these obstacles and set up an alternative course of action.
In the buffet example, the sheer number of options can often overwhelm our better judgement. Avoid this by committing beforehand to only eating one (satisfying) plate of food.
Most importantly, don’t show up to the holiday feast “HAN-GRY!!!” Yes, I said it. ?
Read more about two more strategies I personally take to make sure I don’t begin the New Year trying to make amends for the holidays.
#1 BE REALISTIC
When planning your attack and anticipating the obstacles, it is absolutely essential that you are realistic about the situation and your abilities, or your plan will certainly fail.
I don’t know anybody who can make it through multiple hours of drinking on nothing but raw carrots and celery, so don’t make that your goal. Be smart about your strategy and honest about your limitations, and make sure that your plan will work in reality, not just in theory.
I encourage my clients not overthink it and don’t stress over it. I simply say, use the tools you have been taught, eat mindfully, don’t stuff yourself, and enjoy the fellowship.
#2 LEARN FROM YOUR SLIP-UPS
We are human! So you over ate! So you ate/drank so much you feel sick!
DON’T PANIC.
If one of your plans of attack doesn’t quite work and you end up with three peppermint brownies down the hatch before you can say “processed food,” it isn’t the end of the world.
Instead of skipping your workout and eating a pint of ice cream to console yourself, acknowledge the incident and ask what you could have done differently to prevent it. This is how we grow!
And no, the answer isn’t “be a better person” or “be stronger in the face of temptation.” Instead ask what strategies you could have used to have avoided being put in that situation.
For instance, you may have not eaten enough during dinner and still been legitimately hungry afterward. Eating more protein or veggies could have given you the fuel you needed to make it through the evening.
Or maybe you didn’t realize that your favorite pastry chef was going to be catering this event and it suddenly switched from not-worth-it to totally-worth-it. Maybe you could have adopted mindful eating strategies instead of succumbing to the what-the-hell effect, and enjoyed a much smaller portion.
Whatever the issue, it is something that needs to be acknowledged and addressed or it will happen again.
Most importantly, remember and honor of Savior Jesus Christ, enjoy family, and friends!!!