My name is Greg McBride,
And I'm here to hopefully help answer the question,
Why do healthy eaters sometimes fear the holiday season?
In other words,
A lot of us want to find out how not to let our ho ho ho turn into oh no during the November and December celebration months.
For anyone trying to lose or keep off excess weight,
The onset of the holiday season can bring with it a panic that goes beyond making our list and checking it twice.
In fact,
We can often be divided into two different groups,
One that dreads gaining weight at holiday events and soirees,
Even if Zoom call-oriented,
And one that decides to heck with all dieting efforts until the new year.
Sadly,
No matter which group one belongs to,
The end result of both these tactics can leave us feeling worse than getting coal in our stocking.
Regardless of what weight you're currently at,
You deserve to have a happy holiday season.
And yes,
That can even translate to enjoying some eggnog,
Figgy pudding,
Or whatever festive indulgent represents a joyful eating or drinking experience for you.
The key word here is joyful.
This means it's better to enjoy treating yourself with friends,
Again even if during a Zoom call,
Than it is by yourself at a kitchen counter nibbling away at said indulgence when not a creature is stirring,
Not even a mouse.
The best gift we can give ourselves is to let go of shame,
And instead keep in mind why we want to take or keep excess weight off to begin with.
Sure,
We want to look great in our party wear.
We even want to feel good when sitting around the house in our yoga pants.
But we also want to feel good.
This means being able to take a flight of stairs without becoming winded.
Sitting at a family gathering,
Even if on Zoom,
Without feeling like our jeans are cutting off the oxygen supply to the lower halves of our bodies.
Or waking up in the morning after a celebration dinner without feeling fatigued,
Mentally or physically.
As someone who took off over 250 pounds of excess weight and has kept it off for over 2 decades,
I've learned that staying on the nice list doesn't have to mean eating only celery and carrot sticks throughout the season.
At the same time,
It doesn't have to mean overindulging to the point of discomfort or constantly berating oneself or using guilt or shame to stay within the confines of a healthier eating plan.
What I did while losing weight,
And what I do to this day,
Is to stop and perform a 5 minute mental check-in before any eating or celebration involving food occurs.
This can be done in an office,
Parked car,
Bedroom,
Or even in a bathroom stall.
But take a beat to indulge in several deep breaths,
Thinking in while breathing in,
And out while breathing out.
Then once you're centered,
Create a mental picture of who you want to be at whatever event big or small is ahead of you.
Do you want to be the person more obsessed with the food around you than the happy conversation going on,
Even via zoom call?
Do you want to be the person excessively drinking cocktails or other calorie heavy beverages instead of toasting with some sparkling water and splashed with cranberry juice?
Do you want to be the person giving side-eye to desserts instead of shaking your groove thing on the dance floor,
Or even goofing off with friends via a facetime call to a happy Christmas song?
It's all up to you,
And by being present and conscious before any event with food that might be intimidating,
You allow yourself to take a moment to envision how you want to handle the occasion,
And how you want to feel afterwards.
Here's some example questions you could try asking yourself.
What is it I most want to enjoy about the occasion?
Is there anything about this occasion that makes me nervous?
How committed do I want to be to my healthy eating plan?
How can I enjoy myself without overdoing it?
How do I want to feel,
Physically and mentally,
After the occasion,
Or in the morning?
What are three of my best traits,
And how can I make those shine during this occasion?
I should let you know there's no wrong answers to these questions.
And these are just examples.
You can choose your own questions to ask yourself to become more centered before a big or celebratory holiday meal.
This is all about self-empowerment,
And reminding yourself that being out of control doesn't have to be how you define yourself anymore,
Not during the holidays or any time of year.
Finally,
Almost everyone I know wants to take off three to five pounds come January.
I'm not saying you have to gain any weight,
But doing a little overindulting during the holidays can be okay.
You might even add some extra exercise to your holiday routines to help burn a few of those extra calories you're consuming.
Even taking a few laps around the block,
Or maybe at the mall while Christmas shopping can help.
It's about balance.
It's about moderation.
And it's about meeting each of these holiday occasions with not only consciousness and a healthy perspective on food and drink intake,
But also with equal parts bedrest,
Drinking enough water,
And getting enough exercise.
And of course,
Let's not forget the meditation and being mindful.
Be easy with yourself when contemplating holiday celebrating and eating,
Instead of terrified of it.
The less power we give the holiday season over our choice to live a healthier and happier life,
The more power we keep for ourselves.
We aren't this season's bitch.
We're in control.
And that means we can eat,
Drink,
And be merry,
All without feeling deprived now or hating ourselves when January arrives.
Once again,
My name is Greg McBride,
And I'm honored you let me share some of my perspective with you.
We're all in this together,
And I think about those 250 excess pounds I lost all the time,
And I'm happy to share my journey with others in hopes it will help.
Please feel free to share your experience in the comments section,
Or even share this with other people who might be a little nervous about holiday eating.
And in the meantime,
Have a very healthy and happy holiday season.
