HOLIDAY ROADS!
Last year as the holidays approached I shared a blog with you that offered help and support for staying 100% on plan through holiday meals, family gatherings, work events, etc. and you can click here to read it. This year I wanted to speak to the fact that you are at the wheel when it comes to making decisions about food during the holidays, and there are several paths you can take. I want this to open a dialogue about the benefits and challenges of each decision, so that you can make the correct choice for you.
As I see it there are three roads ahead for the holidays. Let’s take a quick look at each one!
Free for all
To me this is when you give yourself the “Golden Ticket” many of us dream of when it comes to food. No rules, no restrictions, no metrics in place to keep things in perspective. Eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Will your pants fit come the first of the year? Probably not, but that was your choice. Will getting back on track be easy or even actually happen? Doubtful. Now most of you reading this are probably chuckling or even annoyed, “Mike, no one with weight loss goals would do that!” Really? You think so? It’s put out there by various influencers as a valid option but as I often say they lack perspective on how bad it can actually get. How even a week in this place can be devastating to many of us. I have put 50lbs on my body in a week. Was it all fat? Probably not, but it was enough to make me see the path ahead as hopeless and stay in that place leading to a solid 100lb gain in a month. While my case is certainly extreme, if this resonates at all with you. If seeing a greater than you could even expect gain would be a tough mental blow regardless of how much fun you had, then maybe this isn’t the choice you can make in good conscience.
Strictly on track
Another very clear path, stick to your food plan and make the same choices you’d make if this wasn’t a holiday. For some people this could mean bringing their own food to a gathering, eating before/after, or doing some investigating into the available options and adjusting as needed. For someone that struggles with control in social situations this sense of adherence to plan can be comforting and help with some truly challenging times. For others, this can create a feeling of being an outsider that triggers other behaviors that might not be healthy, like bingeing afterwards. As I mentioned above, I dive deep into how to make this work for you in my previous blog if you’re feeling like it might be the best choice. Biggest message, if you need to stick to an eating plan, don’t let anyone shame you for that. It doesn’t mean you’re punishing yourself or you’re trying to draw attention to yourself, it means you are using a tool to help you through one of the most challenging food times of the year!
Planned deviation
First, notice I did not say CHEAT. I also didn’t say treat. I want you get into the mindset of every meal being a choice, whether it fits your plan or not. I believe it was Samantha Souza (Check out her IG here!) who I first saw use the phrase “planned deviation” and I loved it. It is empowering. It presumes that you are making your food choices, and not making “mistakes” or “slip ups.” A planned deviation is an off plan meal, etc. that you decide is worth it for you. This could be a holiday meal that features important family traditions or a one of a kind food that you can only find during this time. “Worth it” implies the potential consequences of your choice are something you have identified and can live with, including cravings and scale bumps, etc. I am going to actually be releasing a blog soon on the topic of what “worth it” means in the context of your food choices, because I think it can get misconstrued often. The biggest part of this option I want to focus on today is the idea that these deviations are PLANNED. You establish what the rules look like and hold yourself accountable to them. If that doesn’t feel like a deal you can make with yourself, it doesn’t mean you are broken or wrong, it simply is just that, how you feel. And I mean set actual rules. I’d be lying if I am at all implying this is something someone new to their journey should jump right into, I think it takes a strong sense of purpose and accountability. And yes, a willingness to take some risks. I encourage you to consider all of these things when you do decide this is the best way for you to proceed, and again do so from a place of empowerment and choice, not simply from a place of “want.”
The key message here is that the choice you make about the holidays and how strict or indulgent you would like to be should be an informed one. It should be a choice you make with zero regret and not be a pathway to berating yourself the day after. I would also like to remind you one more time that even though we call this the “holiday season,” very few days ahead are actual holidays. And regardless of how you approach the specific holiday, not giving yourself a pass to treat the “season” as a buffet can be the best first step towards staying on track come January 1st, 2022!
