The holidays are extra busy, but they’re not that busy. Sure we have to go shopping–maybe online, or a trip or two to the mall. We probably have some holiday parties and events to attend, which usually happen at night or on weekends. We’ll spend time baking and decorating, which we can do with our friends and family for some quality time. And through it all, we still have that option of getting up before work to get our workouts in, and I hope you’ve been doing that!
But these are the holidays, people, and stuff happens. Usually that stuff is food. When I cooked Thanksgiving dinner, the recipes I used called for a cup of butter in the dressing, another cup in the gravy, and a cup basted on the turkey. I cut it back a bit, but still. That’s a lot of butter. I don’t shy away from fats, but calories are calories and we haven’t even gotten to the pumpkin pie yet.
These foods are delicious and you should enjoy them. The key to a guilt free holiday isn’t in avoidance. It’s in not feeling guilty.
That’s right. Don’t feel guilty.
Choose a clear conscience. Eat the turkey, the pie, the cookies. I mean, be sensible, sure, but don’t deprive yourself. This is one day or maybe one week, a very short time period in the scheme of things. You understand the cause and effect at play here; you know the consequences of eating a lot of sugar, perhaps both in how you feel and in what it does to your weight loss program. You make your choices based on your understanding of those consequences.
There’s no reason to feel guilty, because when the pie is gone, you can get back on track. You might have a few pounds to make up for. That’s okay. They’ll come off as you practice your healthy habits on a daily basis again. It’s not the end of the world. Be patient with yourself and the process, as always, and take the pounds back off.
One thing I know is that delicious food is far less enjoyable when we’re feeling bad about eating it. Not to get too “out there” on you, but I also believe it does more damage in our bodies when we’re constantly thinking about how much damage it causes.
Your guilt free holiday is possible because of these things:
You’re in control.
You still have time to exercise.
If pounds come on, they can go off again.
These particular temptations are temporary.
You make good choices most of the time.
It’s okay to enjoy delicious food.
Have a wonderful, guilt free holiday!