“Tis the Season” Mistakes (& how to fix them)

By now you’ve heard the phrase “tis the season” at least a dozen times. “Tis the season” for this and that, and food pushing, and diet gimmicks, and overeating, and saying yes when you want to say no, and so on. Why is it that we sometimes allow “tis the season” to mean a “get out of jail free card” or simply losing our minds? We allow this season to be an excuse for actions like overspending, overeating (a lot) and over committing. We simply ignore the consequences until “tis the season” no longer.

Let’s break it down.

MISTAKE: Overspending is something I’ve been guilty of at times. I love to give gifts and wrap them beautifully. It’s such a pleasure to see someone open and really like a gift, until I get my bank statement.

FIX: Set a limit for a total gift budget and a budget for each person on your gift list. Don’t feel like you need to give a gift when you get one. If the giver is like me, I just like to give and don’t expect anything in return (unless it’s the hubs, he better wrap something up). Make homemade gifts like infused oils, soaps, or freezer meals to cut cost while increasing your gift thoughtfulness value :). Lastly, discuss budgets with friends and family. It can help when others take a more creative and cost-effective approach with you.

MISTAKE: Overeating because this is the only time of year I can get this food. It’s like someone locked turkey, dressing, and cranberries in a vault somewhere until this one day. It’s absurd but hey, “tis the season.”

FIX: Unlock the vault and pull out your favorite foods for a preview a couple of weeks BEFORE the holiday. I think this is such a smart strategy that YourSupperSolution.com members have a preview dinner planned this week. This allows time to test recipes and mindfully enjoy those foods without the hustle, bustle and other distractors. When it’s time to have that Turkey Day meal, you won’t be the one stuffed. Give it a try for other holiday meals as well. You may be surprised how “Thanksgiving full” you’re not.

MISTAKE: Overcommitting is also part of our “tis the season” insanity. The holidays can be a great time to catch up with friends and family but we can let our social calendar derail our self-care (fitness, sleep, meals, & meal planning) time by overcommitting.

FIX: Plan your schedule once a week and start with activities that make YOU feel well. Protect your self-care time (even if it’s just a walk – alone), plan your meals ahead of time, and say no to parties you don’t want to attend. When we’re overcommitted, we tend not to think about getting enough sleep, water, balanced meals and exercise. Getting too far out of our routine can lead to fatigue, poor hydration, overeating, and January regret. So plan now for protecting your self-care time. If you feel well, chances are everyone around will have a happier holiday too!

Remember, it’s not about a diet. It’s about a plan! How will you prevent these holiday mistakes this season? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Tis the Season: A Realistic Look at #Holiday #Health

This time of year can be so exciting. Who doesn’t love the pretty lights, parties and family gatherings??? Well, let me carefully answer that… A LOT of people 🙂

The holiday season is filled with so many wonderful things. I do love certain types of seasonal foods, celebrating with friends/family, Christmas songs and all the decorations. However, most people (myself included) don’t live within the confines of a Hallmark holiday special. The holidays can be stressful–I had another reminder of that today.

Many stressors of the season are provoked by things we try to avoid most of the year like people that rub us the wrong way, food pushers, frustrating family members, well-meaning comments (or not), so many parties in too little time, more alcohol than we need, spending more money than we should, and the list could go on and on. All of these things evoke some sort of feelings that may cause us to be happy or sad (among many other feelings). If we don’t take a little time to pay attention to the feelings and appropriately deal with them, guess what can happen for many of us?

We just stuff it! We stuff the feelings down by stuffing our faces. Have you stuffed another chip with dip in your mouth as you tried to avoid saying something or as a distraction for what you were really feeling? I think we all have…

As hard as it may be, it’s so important that we plan in time for self-care and reflection even when it’s uncomfortable. So, STOP, and do this now! Look at your schedule and plan time to take care of you. You can decide what that may look like. It includes not letting your schedule get crazy for most people in addition to things like journaling, reading, getting enough sleep, staying on your walking routine, staying hydrated, getting a massage, etc… Put your self-care in your schedule now and protect it like the invaluable gift it is!

Hopefully, taking care of you this holiday season can help prevent some of the holiday worry and stress while making it more enjoyable. Whatever this season means to you let the true meaning guide you. And, remember, you are in charge of you. Make decisions that keep you and your holiday healthy.

Hungry for more holiday help?  Check out these posts on Overcoming Overeating During the Holidays and dealing with the food table!

Why I WON’T tell you to weigh yourself daily over the holidays…

1. Weight Fluctuates Naturally:  In a given day, our weight (mostly from water) can fluctuate a few pounds depending on our activity level, foods or liquids we eat or drink, and regularity.  There is no need to monitor our weight daily, especially if our weight means more than a number to us.  Have you ever stepped on a scale and it changed the way you viewed your day? Well, I’m here to tell you that if you don’t step on the scale… it can’t steal your joy!
2. Weighing Daily is Unnecessary for Weight Maintenance or Health:  Like this holiday weight gain post says, the average holiday weight gain is around 1 pound.  One pound does not make or break your health or weight.  Instead of focusing on weight, impact your health positively with a focus on listening to your body’s hunger and fullness, nourishing your body with healthful foods most of the time, and moving your body often.  This will help you stay energized throughout the holiday season.
   
3. You’re going to eat the dessert anyway:  According to Leslie, The Cupcake Law states that whenever there is a scale involved there is also food (specifically cupcakes in this circumstance) involved.  For example, a person who loses weight will treat themselves to a cupcake in celebration, and a person who gains weight will eat a cupcake out of disappointment.  You see, either way you will eat the cupcake.  So, you are better off to go without the scale, so you can choose when you truly want to plan and savor your cupcake!
4. Weighing takes away from more important things in life: If you weigh yourself daily, you will (most likely) start to get wrapped up in the numbers.  Eventually, you will spend more time thinking about food, weight, and body image and less time on the true meaning of the holidays and important things in life.  Don’t let the scale skew your perception about what is the most important this holiday season or take away your joy.  You (and your health for that matter) are so much more than a number.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season filled with fun and joy! Take care of yourself— and just say no to the scale! 🙂

This post is by Janet Zimmerman, a University of Memphis Nutrition Student and Schilling Nutrition Therapy, LLC Intern. You can follow Janet on Twitter as well at http://twitter.com/JanetZimmerman

Busting the 5-10 pound #holiday #weight gain MYTH!

A recent study suggests the average person gains just slightly over 1 pound throughout the holiday season.  Yet, I hear fearful comments about large amounts of holiday weight gain a lot from friends, family, and coworkers.

So, today I wanted to talk about how believing the holiday weight gain myth does you a disservice!

1) The diet industry uses this myth (and the shame that we associate with weight) to get you to buy into their product.  The diet industry bombards us with messages saying we will gain “holiday” weight if we don’t _________ (insert: eat whatever diet food they are selling, try whatever product they are selling, etc).  For example, I heard a terrible commercial on the radio yesterday stating: “enjoy your foods over the holidays because it is the only time you can; after the new years starts it is time for celery sticks and exercise again”.  Sadly, “nutrition” and “health” commercials are usually about getting your money, NOT helping you gain health.  Diets and quick fixes don’t work for lasting weight loss or health, and many times they leave us more dissatisfied with our bodies and with a shattered self-esteem.  Do yourself a favor this holiday season and debunk the myths/lies that the diet industry, food industry, and other people claim.

2) The myth perpetuates the diet mentality.  Think of the commercial above.  If you think that you will never be able to have a certain treat again or that you have to start a “diet” after the new year, of course you will feel like you need to eat every last bite of your pie, even if your stomach hurts.  Intuitive Eating calls this the “last supper” syndrome.  Reject the diet mentality and choose to listen to your body’s cues for hunger and fullness.

3) The myth promotes feeling shamed or guilty about eating holiday foods.  There are many delightful treats involved in holiday celebrations, and many of them are filled with memories.  Yet, the holiday weight gain myth often interrupts our ability to enjoy them without guilt or shame.  Let me tell you.  You deserve to eat your favorite holiday food: is it fudge, pie, Grandma’s famous cookies, or cake?  Or maybe you don’t have the sweet tooth like me, and you enjoy the rich stuffing and casseroles.  Choose your favorite foods, sit down, be purposeful and enjoy them without an ounce of guilt.

4) The myth takes the focus off health once again.  In general, weight loss or gain does not make or break your health; it is the habits that you have, along with your genes, that determine your health.  This focus on weight, that is so common in our society, takes away from a true focus on health.  Want to stay healthy over the holidays this year?  Choose warm healthy drinks, get active, and incorporate REAL food into your life.  There is no need to exclude pleasure foods (foods that are not very nutritious but are highly delicious).  Just find a good balance like: 80% of the time focusing on nourishing your body and 20% of the time focus on satisfying your taste buds.

I hope each of you can embrace the holiday season this year without guilt over food or fear of weight gain.  Enjoy this special time of year, time with friends and family, and (hopefully) time to relax and take care of yourself!

This post is by Janet Zimmerman, a University of Memphis Nutrition Student and Schilling Nutrition Therapy, LLC Intern. You can follow Janet on Twitter as well at http://twitter.com/JanetZimmerman