On any plan we all come up on those dreaded HOLIDAYS!! How do we enjoy the goodies that the holiday has to offer while adhering to our weight loss goals. Read on as I give some handy advice, tips and tricks to help you stay on track and avoid holiday weight gain!!
"Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything." -- George Lois
Diet
Why not try some creativity to solve some of your dieting dilemma this holiday season?
I had a client who was struggling with weight loss and her particular issue was with having too many desserts. In despair, she would then abandon her whole healthy diet plan. She knew she was in trouble when she found herself eating cold french fries out of the bottom of her kid's fast food bag. She decided instead to allow herself to have a dessert every day, but not to sabotage the rest of her diet. She called it the "Eating-Healthy-Between-Desserts Diet."
She immediately started losing weight again once she stopped sabotaging herself. When she combined it with another simple step of asking herself, "What would satisfy me?" she was able to replace dessert with fruit on many occasions - and pick up her rate of weight loss even more.
Are you ready to devise your own diet? Or are you telling yourself that the holidays are not the time to diet? Well, no, they are not the time to embark on a whole new way of cooking, learning a new online calorie counting program or imposing severe restrictions. But it is a good idea to have strategies to help us practice some restraint during the party season.
Try this: Set aside 20 minutes of "creative diet-devising time" at the beginning of each week. As you imaginatively make your plan, consult your calendar so you can make specific plans for specific days. Use my list of ideas below for inspiration. You can modify the strategies or combine them with your own. Keep it simple and make it reasonable. Write down your day-to-day commitments and absolutely have a happy holiday season!
What-Mom-Said Diet: Eat 3 balanced meals plus a single treat per day.
3-Hour/3-Container Diet: Set aside 3 hours to prepare and fill 3 large plastic storage containers with (1) low fat soup, (2) fresh cut-up vegetables and (3) fresh prepared fruit. Make a commitment to refilling the containers every time they run low.
Pure-Common-Sense Diet: Eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables and drink 48 ounces of water every day. Exercise 3 times per week for 30 minutes.
It's-Not-Christmas-Today Diet: Identify all possible "focus" (non-party) days in the week and make plans to not overindulge on those days. On days when there are holiday celebrations, find specific "focus" meals. There is no need to start the day with a donut just because you are going to end it with a piece of pumpkin pie.
Easy-Way-Out Diet: Consider splurging with fresh prepared calorie-conscious meals delivered to your door twice a week by Seattle Sutton. (www.seattlesutton.com) As an alternative, look for prepared healthy low-fat deli food and use the salad bar at the grocery store to have fresh veggies and fruits prepared and on hand.
Out-of-Denial Diet: Simply commit to recording every morsel of food that goes into your mouth. Those who have "journaled" food consumption in the past know that this is a sure-fire way to encourage more responsible choices.
You-Don't-Have-to-Roll-Me-Home Diet: Commit to not overindulging to the point of uncomfortable fullness. This will require eating slowly and being selective in your choices.
Oprah-Tried-This Diet: All eating ceases at 7 p.m. This may not work on late party nights, but try it on lightly scheduled days and use it in combination with the You-Don't-Have-To-Roll-Me-Home Diet on party nights.
No "S" Diet: This is my favorite internet diet. Have no sweets, no snacks, and no seconds; except on days starting with an "S": Saturday, Sunday, and special occasions. (www.nosdiet.com)
One-A-Day Diet: Make one really healthy choice every day: An extra walk on your lunch hour; passing on the dinner rolls; or no butter on the popcorn.
You get the idea. The important thing at adhering to your weight loss program through the holidays is that you not try to follow a diet - rather, you should ask yourself what you are willing to do.
Then give it a fun name that will help you remember it. Lastly, write it down to help you reinforce your commitment.
In Summary: You can still lose weight AND enjoy your holidays by remembering the wise words of Julia Child, "Life itself is the proper binge."
Weight Loss Issues - Creatively Plan A Reasonable Holiday Diet
Sandra Ahten, a diet and wellness coach, motivation expert extraordinaire, and Reasonable Diet ™ program author transforms her clients from the "I know what to do -- I just don't do it crowd." She conducts a free Reasonable Diet coaching call or gives all of her subscribers a diet-tip booklet, recipe book, (or other motivational gem) every month. http://www.reasonablediet.com Sign up for her free newsletter to be eligible.