The Holiday season can be a major barrier to the goals you set for yourself in January. My health goal is to arrive at a healthy BMI. The season presents itself with all types of rich foods and alack of activity.
While being kind to yourself and not sacrificing the joy of the season is important, we can't hijack the goals we set for ourselves.
Over the years, I’ve practiced different these three different approaches:
Forget about it: treat yo self non-stop and gain weight
Think about it: maintain the weight loss you had thus far.
Be fierce: lose weight during the holidays.
The last two options are the best ones in my opinion.
Forget about it - Family holiday gatherings were not easy. I knew I was stepping into a stressful situation. Thanksgiving was also my favorite season of the year. I decided to eat my feelings. A year later, I calculated how many calories I ingested during that meal. Three thousand. I can confidently tell you that those calories did not solve my problems. The “forget about it” approach did not work because it did not improve my health and it did not solve the root of my relationship issues. The solution was education. I was taking a nutrition class a year later, and the teacher encouraged us to calculate how many calories we were putting on our plate. The truth can help you more than it can hurt you. Seeing that number was the catalyst for change.
Think about it - The subject of weight is almost inevitable in a family situation. That year, I lost a significant amount of weight. Everyone noticed and asked me what I did. I was at a good weight, my lowest in a long time, and I wanted to maintain it. Weight maintenance during the holidays means that I need to practice self-control. It means that I can’t overeat. It also means that my focus needs to be on finding ways to move and find peace in the midst of chaos. The solution was being okay with the amount of nutrition my body needed to thrive each day. Peace was a great ally in this situation.
Be fierce - This is the most difficult approach of the three. Losing weight during the holiday season feels like swimming against a strong current. My mental game was strong that year. It was resolved: I was losing weight. I counted all my Weight Watchers points. I called a local gym and got a free pass in order to exercise. I attended a local Weight Watchers meeting. The scale did not disappoint: I lost weight! It is not easy to lose weight in the holiday season but I can tell you that it is possible. The solution was to plan to win, prepare to win and expect to win.
This holiday season we are going to focus on what’s important. God, family and health. I hope you choose the right approach for yourself. You can reach your goals. It just takes thought and preparation.
Stats:
WW start weight: 175 lbs
Current: 153 lbs
First Goal: 150 lbs
Second Goal: 146 lbs
Third Goal: 136 lbs
Previously in this Series:
• First week of WW
• WW Speak
• Premeditated Portion Control
• Weights and Measures
• Time
• Carbs & WW
• Proof of Weight Loss
• Why I started
WW start weight: 175 lbs
Current: 153 lbs
First Goal: 150 lbs
Second Goal: 146 lbs
Third Goal: 136 lbs
Previously in this Series:
• First week of WW
• WW Speak
• Premeditated Portion Control
• Weights and Measures
• Time
• Carbs & WW
• Proof of Weight Loss
• Why I started
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