Is this year going to be the year you get through the entire holiday season without putting on a lot of weight? Do you know what it takes to be able to stop yourself from having to wear larger clothes, feel guilty by the end of the year and force yourself to start a New Year’s weight loss resolution you’re terrified you won’t keep?
What is it that you need to get the job done? Is it the right diet plan? Is it a set of weights? The right running shoes to hit the track? Those are only tools. That said, they’re not the skills or abilities. That’s all up to you.
While you may think of your weight as something physical – and that is true – your weight management is a mental and emotional issue. As a result, your success depends on your ability to mentally prepare for the upcoming holiday season and everything you will experience along the way.
How do you do that? Here are three steps you can do to mentally prepare yourself for the weight management struggles you will face throughout the holiday season:
1. Weigh yourself every week – Get on the bathroom scale on the same day every week at the same time (preferably first thing in the morning before you shower), on an empty stomach, wearing only your birthday suit. Write down your results. This will help you to remain accountable for your weight. If you avoid the scale, you’ll avoid facing up to the help or damage you’ve been giving your diet. If you know you’ll need to face that weigh-in every Saturday morning, you’ll be less likely to eat and drink quite so much on Friday night.
2. Put in your best effort at the start of the day – Start each day with the right mindset. Exercise first thing in the morning to make sure you get your workout done before you can decide you’re too busy for it. Enjoy an extra healthy breakfast every single day. Throughout the holiday season, breakfast is the meal you’re most likely to have under your own control. Dinners with friends and family at restaurants or while visiting will often include heavy meals, fatty hors d’oeuvres and sugary desserts. Lunches are often smaller versions of the dinners, since leftovers abound at this time of year. Breakfast, however, can still include a bowl of steel cut oats topped off with handfuls of your favorite berries and a sprinkling of almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds. Add a poached egg and you’ll feel satisfied right through until lunchtime.
3. Get picky about what you eat – This can be interpreted in two ways. The first is to be selective. If you’re going to eat high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium, high-sugar foods, make sure they’re the ones you truly love to make it worthwhile. When you do end up in front of a buffet, choose only a small number of selections and pick at them. Eat slowly, take small bites and savor their flavors and textures. You’ll get all the same foods and tastes, but without overdoing it.