As the calendar flips to November, somehow, the holiday season is already upon us!
For many, it's a time of joy, celebration, and indulgence. However, it's also a time when we tend to let our guard down when it comes to health and fitness. Tempting treats and busy schedules can easily lead to weight gain.
BUT!!!!
What if I told you that starting your weight loss journey during the holidays -- even if you don't shed a single pound -- could be the best decision you make?
Starting your weight loss journey now is a fantastic idea, no matter the immediate results. There are sure to be some fitness setbacks (as there should be!) around Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas, or the holidays you celebrate. But that's OK, let me tell you why.
Shaping up for the season
In order for change to happen, changes have to happen.
What this means is even though the change you are looking for is in body composition and weight, that means changes have to happen with your behaviors.
I understand how there is so much going on with holiday work parties, travel, hosting the family for dinner, and even end-of-the-year work deadlines, so your bucket of stress might be overflowing.
But here's the deal.
If you have a goal of weight loss, changes in your behaviors and habits need to happen in order for you to lose weight and maintain the progress you make.
If you take action and start building these habits into your lifestyle, come January, you will be way ahead of the ball (drop😉).
Let’s be real.
Me, you, your mom, dad, brother, sister, grandmother, and dog are all going to be excited and motivated come the new year. New Year's resolutions always feel so promising and exciting.
So again, if you get a head start on things before the new year's motivation comes, you are going to hit the ground running come January!
Let’s do this!
Sleighing long-term health over short-term gains
The main reason people yo-yo diet (lose and regain the same weight over and over) is because their approach is unrealistic and unsustainable.
Here is the tough truth you need to hear: How you lose the weight is going to be how you maintain it afterward.
So when losing weight, you need to focus on building habits for a lifetime, not just for 30, 60 or 90 days.
This means you could work on getting more daily movement, change eating behaviors, improve your nutrition, start a workout regimen, improve your sleep routine, or apply stress management techniques.
When seeking change in your weight and losing fat, it is going to come from making changes in your behaviors.
So yes, it might be tough to lose weight and fat this holiday season with all the office parties and travel coming up, but that doesn't mean you can’t get a head start on building and improving your habits.
Keep it simple:
- Set a daily step goal
- Set a daily water goal
- Incorporate 2-3 days of working out
- Start having protein at each meal
- Start journaling or meditating 5 minutes a day
If you get a head start on applying some of these habits, when January comes, it is only going to make weight loss that much easier for you with having a head start on these habits above.
Focus on health, not weight loss
Starting your weight loss journey during the holiday season is not trying to lose weight as fast as possible. As cool and sexy as that sounds, it doesn’t work out for individuals in the end.
It's about cultivating long-lasting, healthy habits that can benefit you for years to come -- like going for walks, working out, or finding a new favorite healthy snack.
These minor tweaks can improve your energy levels, mental health, and overall quality of life.
Shift your focus from the number on the scale to the consistency of sticking with these habits you choose. Reflect on how you're feeling from an energy, mental, and physical standpoint to measure your progress.
Practice mindful eating, be merry & light
Man, I can’t wait for all the treats during the holidays!
Stuffing, cranberry sauce (the canned kind only!), apple pie, cookies, ALL the tasty goods!
It’s time for you to stop that all-or-nothing mindset.
Instead of making rules for yourself that are so black or white (all or nothing) with foods and workouts this year, practice being mindful with these foods. Practice something over nothing.
You don’t have to miss out on all the fun, and you also don’t have to say f*ck it and go banana pants on the dessert table.
But you can practice portion control. Practice being mindful of finding the harmony of enjoying the treats but overall managing your intake of them.
You don’t have to do extra cardio this holiday season to “earn” some pie, and you don’t have to say f*ck it to workout out altogether and do absolutely nothing. Practice doing what you can. Doing something will always be better than doing a perfect nothing.
Here are 3 tips I’ll give my one-on-one weight loss clients with eating habits:
- Portion out everything you have. Don't eat out of the pie bowl or the ice cream container, but put a serving in a bowl or a plate and enjoy it.
- Eat it slowly. Put your fork down in between bites and take your time eating your food.
- Apply the 20-minute rule. This means that after you notice a craving for a particular food or are looking to go up for seconds, wait. First, you 100% have permission to eat the treat or get seconds, but all you have to do is wait for 20 minutes to allow your stomach and mind to catch up with each other. Almost every time, you will notice you don’t really care for the food or seconds anymore and can move on with your day, but if you still do, that is totally OK! Go have another appropriate portion of food, and repeat this process again afterward if needed.
Here 2 are tips I’ll give my one-on-one weight clients with movement habits:
- Don't have time to work out for an hour each day? Work out for 20-30 minutes.
- No energy to go to the gym? Go on a walk instead.
Plan ahead, yule be thankful you did
I don’t know what holidays you celebrate this time of year, but I am guessing they are not every single day for the next 2 months. There are only a handful of days where you celebrate them
Take a look at your calendar and plan ahead.
See what days you have parties, celebrations, and travel, and start to break it down.
Once you break it down, the actual days of celebration or festivities are usually limited. You will notice how many days you can still plan and stay on track for vs. what days you will have flexibility and enjoy more.
To add to that, even on days that are full of festivities, it's usually one meal or one specific part of the day, so you can take it a step further and break down your meals so that you will be more in control of vs. the ones you won’t for the day!
Also, be sure to read my blog that talks about planning and how to be more disciplined for more tips!
Learn from setbacks
With my weight loss clients, we never focus on being perfect!
As crazy as that may sound, you are not perfect, so stop trying to be.
What we do focus on is being consistent, taking care of what we set out for our plan, and being on track with those things most of the time.
We also understand that mistakes, setbacks, and slip-ups happen.
Again, what did you know? You're human! You're going to make mistakes! ;-)
This is where you will grow.
This is where you can learn.
Don’t avoid and sweep these mistakes underneath the rug. Dive into them and learn from them.
What happened?
Why did it happen?
How can you improve and better prepare yourself next time?
This is key when being on a weight loss journey. Learn from your mistakes, grow from them, and get yourself right back on track as soon as possible!
Embrace the Holiday spirit
Here's the deal.
There is no wrong way to go about your holiday season.
You have every right to choose and ignore everything above and go absolutely wild with indulging in food and enjoying the shit out of this holiday season.
The choice is 100% yours, and I am here to support whatever you decide. I promise we can still be friends:)
We tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves during the holiday season on top of the stress that already comes with it.
So it's ok to chill out and enjoy yourself a little extra if that is what you want.
Just make sure you align your actions with your expectations.
And I promise you this.
No matter what happens this holiday season.
Even if you ignore everything above, gain 100 pounds, and don’t do anything, I promise you didn’t f*ck anything up.
The only way you can fail is if you quit, and as long as you never quit, you can’t f*ck this up.
You hear me always say that this is a weight loss JOURNEY.
This sh*t takes time and practice.
Just like how no one gained all their weight from a donut or from 2 months of being off track, you aren’t going to make all your progress from one salad, or from being on track for 2 months.
This is a journey to learn more about yourself, build habits, and change behaviors.
Another hard truth is that this shit takes time, and that's ok!
Because there is no doubt in my mind that I know you can do this, and I 100% believe in you!
This is why I believe starting your weight loss journey during the busy holiday months, even if you don't see immediate weight loss, can be incredibly beneficial for your overall health and well-being.
The holiday season provides a unique opportunity to cultivate healthy habits, practice mindful eating, and prioritize long-term wellness over short-term results without the stress of losing any weight.
Remember, the goal is not just to lose weight but to gain a healthier, happier you. By approaching your health journey with a positive mindset and a focus on lasting improvements, you'll be well on your way to a healthier, more confident you, both during and after the holiday season.
- Kevin
As I Am
P.S. If you need more help on your weight loss journey to have more support, someone hold you accountable, and help you take all of thinking out of it for you, click HERE to schedule a time for us to chat!
SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT