When family, life, and Holidays are a catch-22 to your Holiday Weight Loss Strategy

APPLE PODCAST | STITCHER | GOOGLE

Holiday weight loss strategy, What’s yours? Do you have any, or do you just want to eat all the food, and start again in January?

Friends, when it comes to this time of year, the holidays are a time for family, friends and good food. Unfortunately, that means it’s also a time when many people struggle with weight loss goals. If you’ve been trying to lose weight but have been unsuccessful so far, don’t worry—you’re not alone! In fact, losing weight can be even harder during this time of year because there’s more temptation around than usual and life gets in the way of your best intentions. But don’t let those things discourage you: You can still lose weight this holiday season if you know how to set yourself up for success and make sure that your mindset doesn’t get in the way of your progress, and if that’s your goal.

The holidays really are a big deal.

The holidays really are a big deal. They’re your chance to celebrate with family and friends, be thankful for what you have, relax and enjoy yourself.

But that’s exactly why it can be so hard to lose weight during this time of year. It’s a busy time for everyone involved in holiday events. The holidays mean spending more time with people who love us no matter what size we are—and that’s great! Except when it comes to eating habits: when there are so many delicious food options everywhere you go and too much going on around us all the time, temptation can easily become overwhelming.

People with families sometimes have a harder time losing weight than people without families – but it isn’t impossible

There are many benefits to having a family in your corner, when implementing your Holiday weight loss strategy : they can be sources of comfort and motivation, as well as support, or unfortuantely they can also become one big distraction that stands in the way of you losing weight. The latter two tend to get in the way of losing weight, but it’s usually not their fault. The problem is that people tend to want to spend time with their families and friends, and this can often be at the expense of other things, i.e your health. The solution here is not to stop spending time with your family, but rather to ensure that it doesn’t interfere with your weight loss goals.

Which is why I always encourage an external support system and accountabiliy group, for example, a group of like minded woman who are ready to do what it takes to CHANGE their nutrition habits.

Life can get in the way of your Holiday weight loss strategy.

Life is full of distractions, and it’s easy to let them get in the way of your weight loss goals. While the holidays are a time to be with family and friends, it can also lead to overeating. Here are some tips to help you stay on track with your weight loss goals during the holidays:

• Make sure you have a plan. Write down your weight loss goals and how long it will take to reach them. This can help keep you on track during the holidays when temptations abound.
• Don’t eat food just because it’s there. Don’t eat more than what’s on your plate, especially if it’s not part of your regular diet. It’s easy to overeat at holiday gatherings if everyone else is eating dessert or appetisers before dinner even arrives.

In order to keep yourself on track during these busy times of year, try setting small and manageable goals that are easier for you to achieve. Or try buying fresh fruit instead of daily drive-thru dining 3x per day.

Your mind games are getting the best of you.

You told yourself that if you don’t change now then it will only get harder for you later on in life when trying to lose weight becomes more difficult and expensive. But the more time passes by without any real results from your efforts, despite how much effort and determination they seem like they require, the more frustrated and disappointed with myself that makes me feel because I know deep inside myself that I could have done better than this! Why am I not losing weight? What is wrong with me? Why can’t I just be like the other people in my life who don’t seem to ever have any problems losing weight and keeping it off?

I assure you friend, staying stuck in this battle and cycle of unbelief it will reap NO benefits, instead of staying stuck in this endless cycle of self sabotage take the steps needed to change that, it will take time, but I promise you, if I can do this, you can, and I’m here to help you get through.

It’s not just about diet and exercise anymore.

Being aware of what you are eating, drinking, doing and how your body feels while you are doing it can help you maintain a healthy weight.

You’ve lost the motivation to lose weight, and that’s okay.

Let’s be real here friend, you ‘re not a robot. You can’t expect to be motivated every single day , even if you want to lose weight. Sometimes you just need a break from the struggle, so it’s okay to take one if your motivation levels dip. Read the blog on motivation here

You should also prepare yourself for times when motivation isn’t there like this:

• If you find yourself back in a rut or if you’re not making progress, try taking a bath with Epsom salts and lavender oil—even if it’s only once per week!
• It will help your body feel beititer physically and may help clear your mind too. It sounds silly but try it!

Struggling to keep motivation alive? Listen to Episode 127 here

It is hard to lose weight, so it’s important to have realistic expectations, learn how to accept yourself and make lifestyle changes that are manageable for your life.

It is hard to lose weight, so it’s important to have realistic expectations and learn how to accept yourself.

At the same time, you can’t just give up on your goals because of the holidays! You need a plan that will work for you and your life.

To help you balance it all out, here are some tips:

• Start small by making changes slowly over time instead of going cold turkey on everything at once.
• If you want to make big lifestyle changes, don’t do it all at once. Instead, try starting by cutting back at first and gradually work your way up from there.

Conclusion

Losing weight or being intentional about your nutrition choices over the Christmas and New Year season, doesn’t mean restricting yourself from food ALL YEAR ROUND. If you have this view, it’s no wonder you struggle this time of year. If you’re worried about how you’re going to eat healthy over the Holiday season, let me help you navigate your nutrition so that you can enjoy your Christmas and New Year foods without being consumed by guilt and feeling deprived.