post updated
Anyone who’s ever dieted and lost weight before knows how hard it is to stick to a diet through the holidays. There’s temptation everywhere.
Holiday Season Starts In October
If you want to stick to a diet through the holidays, you have to be prepared to have your diet game face on starting in October. You’ll most likely start seeing get mountains of candy everywhere you go, and constant reminders from television and social media that the holidays are upon us.
At work, there has been a daily bowl of candy that always gets consumed by the end of my shift. How I managed to get through October 1st through the 30th without having one piece of candy, I’ll never know.
Notice I didn’t mention October 31st. All bets were off that I was getting through that day without having at least one piece of candy.
I justified it you know, by saying “well it’s Halloween I just won’t have any candy after today“. All the while knowing in my head that that was utter B.S. I preceded to eat candy like I was making up for the lost time.
So the dieting issues for a lot of us chronic dieters begin at Halloween, and then the stress of regret kicks in going forward the rest of the year. Do you know what doesn’t help the stress levels? Hearing people talking about how many days we have left before Christmas.
Throw in all the busyness with shopping, getting everything done, family gatherings, and parties and the last 8 weeks of the year turn into nothing but chaos.
Mind you, it’s enough for me to muster the energy to stay on top of my day to day routines and obligations on a regular basis, let alone when the Holidays are here.
This time of year is like the perfect storm for a self-proclaimed introvert and stress eater like myself. When I’m stressed because I cannot control the things that directly affect my routine, I immediately gravitate toward comforting myself with food.
Oh, I know I’m not the only one that justifies indulging in all the treats by convincing myself that “everyone else is doing it” or “I don’t want to seem antisocial and make anyone else uncomfortable“.
Why do we do this to ourselves? My best guess is, it’s out of habit.
Fortunately, I made the decision back in December of 2016 to get control of me because that was all I really had control over. I’m not sure who said it but I absolutely love the quote “nothing changes if nothing changes“.
Losing 100 lbs and keeping 90 lbs off as of February 2018 showed me that I am capable of having amazing self-control. I was able to stick to my diet through the holidays in 2018, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself feeling no deprivation whatsoever.
Even though I am maintaining my weight loss, I am still learning how to manage my response to perceived stressful situations.
We have these unrealistic goals to be perfect for the last 8 weeks of the year and beat ourselves up if we don’t meet our own expectations.
My weight has fluctuated between 8 and 10 pounds this year. I’ve been feeling terrible about it, but hey, I’m not a perfect person. The fact that I was able to lose 100 pounds 20+ months ago, and keep off 90 of them is pretty damn good.
Knowing all of this, I fully accept responsibility for the indulgences and lack of focus I have had in 2019. I even get on the scale occasionally which I never used to do because I want to be aware of how my behavior affects my weight.
It took me a while to really understand that getting on the scale is just a snapshot of what’s going on in your body. There was no need for judgment. When your weight climbs, it’s merely a result of what you’ve been doing for the previous few weeks. Nothing more.
Weighing yourself forces you to look at your behavior. Tons of people disagree with this but this is an effective practice for yo-yo dieters. I mean, it’s working for me! I’ve never maintained any weight loss over the years until now.
Spoiler alert: Hiding your head in the sand isn’t going to erase the bad habits that got you where you are.
I am still new at this maintaining weight loss thing. It has taken some time to accept that some fluctuations in my weight are expected to happen. But this is my line in the sand: I will not freaking out and put myself down for minor slip-ups. Purchasing bigger clothing sizes is NOT on my agenda.
And, let me just say for the record that weighing myself (who am I?) and vowing to get it together and stay in control of my behavior is a true NSV a/k/a (non-scale victory).
So this is my plan on how to get through the Holidays and stay on track with my diet. Yup, I have a plan.
Forget About Weight-Loss.
Who needs that kind of pressure now? My goal is to maintain my weight where it is today at 166.2 lbs. I will have to be selective about my indulgences, of course. The pounds will definitely creep up if you are trying to eat all the desserts. Part of my strategy to stick to my diet through the holidays involves limiting foods that cause inflammation as well as foods that increase cravings.
Thank God I am not a person who overindulges in rice, pasta, potatoes, or bread. But I know I can graze all. day. long. Snacking habits are also going to be eliminated.
I am not calling this a low carb diet, a keto diet, a portion control diet, or any other sort of diet. Though reducing carbs and being mindful of portions will play a major role in how I will maintain my weight over the winter holiday season.
What I am calling my diet is my personal plan for maintaining my weight through the holidays and beyond. These are the guidelines I plan to follow in order to stick to my diet through the holidays. I happen to know these tactics work because I had success doing this one year ago. You are but you’re welcome to adopt any of them if you feel so inclined.
Getting Plenty of Protein.
I will not minimize protein because I know it keeps me full. That being said I like to use protein shakes for breakfast on workdays because I usually don’t have time to sit down to eat before I go to work.
The protein powders I’m into at the moment are Shakeology and Isopure. I can add greens, berries, whatever kind of flavor extract I’m in the mood for and ta-da, breakfast before I’m out the door.
Fasting a Few Days a Week.
I know back in the day it was unheard of to skip breakfast, after all, we were told as children that it was the most important meal of the day.
On days of the week that I do not work, I can’t push breakfast back to late morning or early afternoon. This is known as intermittent fasting. Practicing intermittent fasting gives my body and digestive system a little bit of a break.
There has been so much controversy around the subject of fasting. I happen to agree with the research that is in favor of fasting.
Here are my personal favorite top 3 benefits of fasting:
- fasting helps burn fat.
- fasting helps with detoxification.
- fasting helps with longevity.
What you eat when you break your fast is way more important. It’s been said that the types of foods you consume when you break your fast can influence your appetite, cravings, and hunger levels for the rest of the day.
Staying Hydrated.
The importance of drinking water all throughout the day cannot be overstated. Between flushing out toxins, controlling your appetite, and optimizing the way your body functions is reason enough for me to do it.
Increasing Vegetable intake.
Because I’m human as I mentioned earlier, I sometimes slack off with eating vegetables. When I do this I also notice that my cravings increase. Why? Because vegetables are packed with nutrients and I have found that a lack of nutrients can correlate to an increase in cravings.
If you are trying to stick to your diet through the holidays, cravings are the last thing you need.
I think it’s unfortunate that I reach for the most unhealthy foods when this happens (again, not perfect). The reality is, I’m not going to crave broccoli. That’s just the way it is. Do I eat multiple servings of vegetables every day? No, I’ll be lucky if I have 1 or 2 servings.
I know seldom eating vegetables isn’t congruent with my goals to maintain my weight loss through the holidays. That’s why eating vegetables has to be intentional for me or else I just won’t do it.
This may not happen with everybody but I can certainly speak for myself. When I’m well hydrated and eating vegetables on a regular basis, I snack less on empty calories. And, I have better control over my cravings too.
Adding in Healthy Fats.
Protein and nutritious vegetables keep us satisfied, but what really helps me stick to a diet through the holidays is adding healthy fats to my meals. – like adding avocado to a salad. Cooking with avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter) helps to add flavor and also helps your body absorb nutrients from the vegetables that you eat.
Making my last meal of the day between 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm helps because I’m not digesting food when it’s time for bed. Digesting food is work for your body and I don’t want to be doing that while I’m supposed to be resting and rejuvenating.
Speaking of rest, getting plenty of sleep helps keep the stress hormone (cortisol) levels down.
Try Practicing Meditation
Though I have not done it, meditation is worth trying. It helps with focus, gives a sense of awareness, and keeps you in the present. Although I’m better than I used to be, meditation is exactly what I need with my history as a stress eater.
I find it hard sometimes to stay in the moment and not think about what’s already happened, or what I perceive will happen. If meditation can keep me present and focused on my goals, I’m here for it.
Exercise
I have to talk about the giant elephant in the room that is exercise. At this particular moment, I’m dealing with a wrist injury, but I won’t use it as an excuse. Walking, or in any pilates/yoga-inspired exercises that don’t require putting weight on my wrists are all doable for me.
Conclusion
I’m committing right now, in front of God and all of you, that I aim to follow my plan outlined above between now and December 31, 2019.
How are you going to stay on track with your diet through the Holidays?
Let me know in the comments!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-breaks-a-fast#breaking-your-fast
https://www.cleverism.com/10-benefits-of-fasting/
