Don't Wait Until January 1st!
I hope that everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving break surrounded by friends, family and food. We are officially in Christmas mode and it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas parties, gift exchanges, yummy food, treats galore and more family and friends, there is not much more one could ask for. With that being said, people start to let up on going to the gym, getting enough water during the day, and they start to restrict their calories, because they start to prepare for all of yummy holiday food and treats they know they are going to consume. This happens from Thanksgiving to December 31st and then when midnight strikes and it is officially January 1st, goals are made to go to the gym every morning and eat clean happen for about three weeks and then it’s back to step one. What if you didn’t restrict yourself over the holidays though, and you ate intuitively and didn’t binge and got in a workout or just got your body moving more than usual five days a week? You wouldn’t have to feel like crap December 31st and make these drastic changes come January 1st. In today’s post I am going to share two tips to help you have a healthier lifestyle and stop the negative binging cycles this time of year brings.
Food is not your mortal enemy! Quite the opposite really. Food is your sidekick it helps you get through the day, it keeps you fueled and energized to tackle the tasks at hand. So don’t restrict yourself to under one thousand calories a day or skip breakfast, so that you can save calories for that Christmas party you’re going to on Saturday, that’s not how it works. If you properly feed your body the nutrients it needs, you may be less prone to binge eating or drinking, and will enjoy just enough so you don’t feel like you have over done it. Your grandmas homemade sugar cookies, eggnog, or your favorite holiday treat are not going to harm you, I promise! I am sure that your grandma is more than willing to give you the recipe, or heck make them for you herself during the year if you ask. When you see these treats as a once a year kind of thing your brain goes into overload. You sit down and have two, then two turns into three, three turns into four and many more. But if you know that you can have that cookie or whatever other treat it is that you love so much not just at Christmas, you won’t want to consume it in massive quantities. You know your limit, and when you are full, listen to your body and do what makes you feel your best.
Don’t wait until the first! Today is a new day just like January 1st, so what is stopping you from starting right now? You deserve to be healthy and happy all year long and you don’t have to wait to do that at the beginning of the year. When you change your mindset from cutting and depriving yourself, to a healthy lifestyle and intuitive eating, it is easier to deal with food during the holidays. You know what you want, and how much your body can handle of that certain food item. You start to see food and your body in a more positive way and know that if you have two cookies at the Christmas party, you don’t need to feel bad about yourself or regret eating it. It is all a mind game, and you are the boss. Don’t let people push food on you if you know you are full, it’s not rude or impolite to say no if you aren’t hungry!
With all of this being said, enjoy the holiday treats and don’t feel bad after eating them. Find a good balance for yourself where you are exercising and eating intuitively like any other given day, but enjoy yourself and don’t deprive yourself of anything you really want. I believe in you and I believe that you will find a perfect balance and stay on track with your goals and lifestyle while incorporating your favorite Christmas treats!