Welcome to the ‘December’ holiday season! Holidays come with foods – Christmas Eve/Day, eight Nights/Days of Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve/Day all have the potential for big family dinners or fun parties. If you are trying to watch and control your weight during the holidays, here are five strategies you can use:

1. If you are going to a party and you are not sure that there will be food on your plan, eat the food you should be eating prior to going to the party or event. No one needs to know that you have eaten and trust me, they will not notice if you are not eating. Parties are all about having fun and that does not need to include overeating or drinking. If you don’t want to drink alcohol, get a fizzy beverage or volunteer to be a designated driver for the evening.

2. Consider allowing yourself a “cheat meal” or “cheat food” that is very special to you for the holiday. Maybe your mother’s stuffing recipe has always been your favorite memory of the holidays – enjoy that and skip other foods that may be unhealthy for you.

3. Practice self-care. Indulge in a mani/pedi or a new outfit that makes you feel special. Nourish yourself with care instead of food.

4. See the holidays as separate events – one dinner at a time. It is much easier to focus on eating healthy for shorter periods of time than the whole month of holidays.

5. Planning ahead is always vital when it comes to managing your eating. This is even truer at the holidays. Take a calendar and map out what events you are planning to attend and what your strategy will be for each event. Having a plan gives you the ability to be in control.

If you keep an Affirmations Journal as part of your daily practice, you may also want to add some holiday season specific affirmations. Here are some samples to consider:

I enjoy sticking to my food plan.
I plan my meals ahead of time.
I take care of myself.
I enjoy being with family and friends.

For more information about how to cope with holiday eating challenges, please give me a call (818-929-4944) to schedule a free consultation or join us any Wednesday on my Hypnotherapy Q and A. You can register here.

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0lfu6trjIvGNZ8XkMGblRSB97cmXEKVT6p

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Cinda

HypnoNews and Resources

Check out this article for some myth-busting!

https://www.prevention.com/health/a34384918/holiday-weight-gain-myths/

Holidays do not have to mean weight gain. Each of these articles has more good suggestions.

https://bewell.stanford.edu/avoiding-holiday-weight-gain/ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/yes-you-can-avoid-weight-gain-over-the-holidays-2019112518309