Blog Series on Self-Care for the Upcoming Holidays 2021 (part 1 of 3)
For the majority of adults in the US, the holiday season brings stress and anxiety. We are juggling a bazillion tasks, from shopping for presents or preparing meals to tidying up the house and hosting guests. It is so easy to let fitness slip during this chaotic time. “It’s just the holidays.” – Everyone says.
“If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
— Sun Tzu (The Art of War)
That is why I am writing a series of blog articles for you. It is 100% possible not to gain any weight or let yourself down by using the self-care tips and tricks that I am about to show you. In this 6-part blog series on self-care for the upcoming holidays, you will learn about the science-backed way to survive and thrive despite the change of schedule or any unexpected engagements. Planning will be the key here. With your already established systems of healthy habits, you will be able to have fun AND stay fit despite the unending temptation.
The most important part is to create healthy boundaries with yourself and everyone or everything in between. The principle is, “If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” – Sun Tzu.
In this blog, I will focus on dieting, specifically on knowing what you want to splurge at the feast and how to slow down your eating speed there. I believe you are already about the self-care tips floating around the Internet. Now, it is time to learn about your enemies and how to deal with them.
Related post: 4 Ways to Revise Your Diet
Self-Care for the Upcoming Holidays Tip #1: Know what you want to splurge
Holiday feats come with a considerable amount of food, and they are all tasty. But you do not have to overfill on all of them. We all have our favorite foods. Plan ahead which dishes you love to eat more and ONLY splurge on them.
The strategy does not need to be complicated. Seriously, only write down what you want and not want to eat. I am sure you love everything that is on the table. But what is your favorite?
The idea of this self-care tip is to limit the amount of excess food by being conscious about what you put in your mouth. You do not necessarily have to shut off all treats, but a little would not hurt.
Self-Care for the Upcoming Holidays Tip #2: Slow down
Let the belly take control of your food intake. It sometimes takes for the “I’m full” signal to travel from your stomach to your brain. By simply reducing the speed that you eat, you will get the full belly sensation as it comes in. Holidays are not just about feasting. Use the time to mingle with your loved ones. Two birds in one stone!
This next tip is so easy yet so hard at the same time. You can ask yourself, “How would I suppose to slow down while the rest of the table is being chipped away at record speed?” The answer is simple. Take a little of everything the first time you go around. Treat the table as a buffet. Take a SMALL bite of everything before deciding your next move.
Now that you figure out the taste of everything, time to go back to step 1 above. What exactly do you like to eat? Remember not to waste your calories fruitlessly. Only eat what you love and leave the rest for the party. Sharing is caring, after all. Use the form down below to write down what you eat to keep track.
For other ways to slow down, you can try different ways to spend your time. You can chat with the people, play some board games, or only have a small dance with the group (with proper social distancing protocol, of course.)
See, eating less at any party is not so bad. Right? Only you can control yourself and not be embarrassed by it. Be proud! Stand above the peer pressure to do what you love. No one can stop you from having a great body from now on.
Excited to get started immediately? Why wait until “whatever time is best” to get started? Do not waste your time anymore. I can help you today with a mini course named, “Evolve from Negativity”, to set your mind straight before you even get started.
