More Holiday Strategies

How did it go? If you live in the US, you have just passed one
of the holiday hurdles.

Did you have any strategies to help you get through Thanksgiving
and manage to avoid overeating?

It’s good to review what worked and what didn’t, so that you can
learn.

I had a plan and stuck with it for the most part. Here’s my post
holiday review.

My strategies were:

1. Work out in the morning. Since my health club was open, I
took advantage of trying out a class that I don’t normally get
to attend. I went to a yoga class that was absolutely wonderful.

At the end, the instructor did a short gratitude meditation.
What a great way to start the day! And how come no one told me
that they put warm towels on your feet at the end? That was
worth the price of admission right there!

2. Eat moderately throughout the day, so that I do not arrive at
the party hungry. Check.

3. I wore comfortable clothing with a belt — not a tight belt,
just a gentle reminder of where my waistline lives.

4. On the way to the dinner (luckily I did not have to cook), I
thought that it would be wonderful to feel as comfortable
driving home from the party as I did driving TO the party.

So I set an intention for that to happen. Think about how you
want to feel coming home from the party.

5. A woman in my Small Group Coaching Program offered the
wonderful suggestion of focusing on conversation more than food.
She actually takes a bite of food, then puts her fork down and
engages in conversation for five minutes, then takes another
bite of food. After a period of time, everyone else is done
eating and she has eaten very little.

While I didn’t use that much structure, it was a good reminder
that there is more to Thanksgiving than turkey and stuffing! It
helped me to enjoy the company and the conversation, and not be
so focused on food.

6. Eat mindfully. My goal is to taste every bite and stop when
it no longer tastes good, or I feel satisfied.

While I wasn’t perfect, having a well thought out strategy for
such an occasion definitely helped. If you overdid it, take some
time to evaluate what worked, what didn’t and what you want to
do differently next time.

And no guilt – guilt and self-hatred are counterproductive. Get
right back on your plan and keep moving toward your goal.

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