Holiday Season Setback
You’ve worked so hard these last few months. You told yourself you wouldn’t self-sabotage by over indulging this year. But then, Thanksgiving came. And you over-indulged. The stuffing was too good to not have seconds, or even thirds, and the pie? Well, you couldn’t have just one slice! That would be wasting food!
Now, with Christmas just around the bend, is it even worth going back on your diet? Or should you just start over once the new year rolls around? After all, that’s what resolutions are for, right? Trust me when I say you’re not the only person thinking these things. As for all those questions circling around in your head right now, let’s see if we can try to answer a few of them. You deserve some peace of mind.
I overate on Thanksgiving. Should I cut back on calories to make up for it?
Absolutely not! Our bodies react most strongly to the things we do most frequently. This means that one day of indulging will not sabotage months of hard work. You may feel overstuffed or even guilty the next day, but the most important thing is consistency.
The best thing to do the next day is act like it never happened. Go right back to your normal routine. Eat and workout just as if it were any other day. Your body will adapt and realize that over-indulging is a once in a while thing. Your body won’t react negatively, so neither should you.
I Just feel like i shouldn't Have eaten that much...
Punishing yourself isn’t going to help either. If you overeat one day then undereat the next, your body won’t be able to make sense of it. Swinging from one extreme to the other is fatiguing, both mentally and physically.
Keep in mind that food, or lack thereof, should never be meant to punish us. Food is fuel, and we need it to survive. Depriving your body of nutrients just to see a certain number on the scale only sets you up for system failure. THAT’S true self-sabotage.
Christmas is coming up. Should I just wait until then?
No! Get back on track right away. That way, when you inevitably get off track again during Christmas, you’ll know you have what it takes to get back to where you want to be. It’s too easy to fall out of good habits. Don’t let this be one of those times. Prove to your body that even when there are ‘out of control’ days, you are still very much in control.
I’m still not buying it. Maybe I’ll just wait until 2021.
New year, new me, right? How many times have you told yourself that you’re going to change come January 1st? How many times have these changes come to fruition? If they have, good for you. Truly! But, for the vast majority of us, New Year’s resolutions fall through time and time again.
The truth is, setting a resolution just because it’s the thing to do doesn’t work. You have to make a plan to change when the time is right for you. Just because you turn the page of a calendar doesn’t magically mean your goals will fall into place. You’ve got to dig deeper and find the true reasons that you want to change. Only then will you start to see and feel a difference.
So, what does all of this mean?
Amidst all of the holiday chaos and celebration, make yourself a priority. Have an extra cookie, but don’t beat yourself up for it. Enjoy an evening of desserts and drinks, but don’t punish yourself the next day.
Decide to make changes to better yourself, but don’t do it just because everybody else is. You give so much to those you love around the holidays. You always have. Now, do something for yourself. Take care of yourself. Give yourself the gift of forgiveness and self-care. Happy holidays!