Holiday stress can hit us from many different angles. There’s the stress of getting decorations up, the stress of getting presents for friends and loved ones (and affording them), and this year there is the stress of COVID interjecting on family celebrations. The most common and often most talked about stress is that around how much food you’re eating and how much weight you’ll end up gaining this season. Am I right?
It’s that special time of year where the office may be filled with treats. Maybe it’s getting cold out and you find that comfort foods have been calling your name. Or maybe you’re still working from home and that fridge is only 25 feet away and it’s packed with leftovers that are too good to resist. And you might be thinking, you’ve accepted your fate. You’re going to eat the food and gain the weight, right?
But what if you don’t?
What if you’re able to enjoy your holiday celebrations without the fear of weight gain? Is there some magical pill with help you eat the food and not gain the weight after? Maybe? But I can guarantee you and the porcelain throne might become BFFs shortly after.
So how can you avoid that weight gain, enjoy time with family, and get to indulge in the foods you long for all year?
Easy, just do it. Give yourself permission to eat the foods and enjoy them. Don’t label them as bad or tell yourself that you need to “work this off later”. Just simply enjoy them for what they are. We often think that one meal is going to cause us to gain 5 pounds over night, which just simply isn’t true (unless maybe you’re having a holiday feast every day of the year).
So why can the scale go up 5 pounds overnight if you’ve had a holiday meal? Often, you’re really seeing the effects of extra sodium (salt) on your body. Our bodies work to keep a natural balance of water and salt. So, when we eat foods that may contain more salt (ham, turkey, Cornish hens, etc.) it’s likely that our body is then going to hold on to as much water as it can which can lead to the scale showing you that you’ve magically gained 5 pounds overnight.
If you’re still struggling to find this happy balance between being able to indulge in your favorite holiday foods without worrying about weight gain, let’s work through this together. Fill out an application to work with me here.
