(And other assorted self-destructive behavior)
Are you planning on a healthier lifestyle in 2021? Need to lose weight or get your exercise routine in gear? This all sounds fantastic and I hope you do have goals that will improve your health and happiness.
That said, what are your plans between now and when your program starts? Are you eating and drinking everything in sight? Getting just one more serving of your all-time favorite indulgences? I call this behavior “The Last Supper” and it’s pretty destructive behavior.
Let’s face it, an eating frenzy filling your belly with junk the last two weeks of the year will surly make you feel sluggish and bloated as the New Year starts. If you’re setting yourself up for a program that brings you so little joy then maybe it’s not the right plan to begin with. Think about that. In the long run, a healthy lifestyle that allows you to enjoy the special occasions in your life will serve you best for a lifetime of good health.
So what is my “holiday strategy” that works? I love my holiday celebrations but at the same time, I have goals! These are holidays, not holi-weeks. I like to keep that in mind. I eat and exercise normally throughout the holidays and enjoy the festivities as I feel I should! A meal or two is not going to totally derail an otherwise healthful routine.
When planning a holiday meal I stick to my healthy non-negotiable of avoiding processed or poor quality food. I also like to include a few course that include foods I love that are still good choices. A couple of indulgences like a luxurious potato dish and a fancy dessert are not going to kill me!
These are the recommendations I am sharing with my Kitchen2021 (healthy cooking) participants:
– One thing I like to be careful of this year is to avoid buying and preparing too much food.
– With smaller gatherings the norm it may be easy to wind up with far too many extra temptations around the house.
– If your refrigerator and pantry can be clear of temptations it will be far easier to get off to a great start on achieving whatever healthy goals you have set.
– Enjoy your holidays without guilt!
