The Big Health Mistakes to Avoid this Holiday Season

In this episode, I want to share with you what I’m personally going to be on guard against this holiday season… the mistakes I know that I will make (that I will regret) if I’m not paying attention to what I’m doing.

These are simple and not diet-y or restrictive things, but I’m going to be blunt because they will require a little bit of discipline. But if you can join me this year and together we can make sure we’re not letting our guard down and making these mistakes over these next couple weeks, we’re going to feel great and in control.

Here are some of the most common mistakes women make this time of year:

​- Putting everything on hold until after the holidays.

Have a simple, doable exercise and eating plan in place and follow through with it. Even if it’s bare bones. We have a tendency to self-sabotage and throw in the towel when we feel like we can't do it all. Even if you can’t do it all, it’s still worth doing. Every time.

- Not understanding the difference between progress mode, maintenance mode, and digress mode.

Maintenance mode is a completely foreign concept for those that tend to be all-or-nothing in their thinking, but learning how to truly “maintain” during the holidays is a very important skill.

As an example, here's what I do to maintain:

• At least three workouts per week, making sure to choose full body strength training workouts for more impact
• Eating all of my meals with Protein & Produce at every meal
• Enjoying 1 or 2 mindful splurges per day, but always under control
• Checking in with my mind and my body to make sure I'm still in a good spot

If I feel like I'm digressing a teensy bit, I simply tighten it back up a notch.

Don't flip all the way into digress mode this season. You can easily maintain what you've got, and then flip back over into progress mode when the timing is better.  

- Having high expectations, and then getting completely derailed when things don’t go as planned.

Create realistic expectations and have a very clear back-up plan. With this strategy, you won't get easily derailed.

- Having the Scarcity Mindset.

There is no reason for you to think it’s now or never. The stuff we get to enjoy during the holidays is usually still available all year long in abundance, so there’s no need to overindulge because of your scarcity mindset.

- Believing that certain holidays are only about the food (ahem…Thanksgiving…)

Food is just one part of the celebration, but that’s not why we’re there.

Don't lose sight of what we should be truly celebrating because you're so focused on the food.

- Checking your intuition at the door.

Staying mindful, aware, and intuitive during the holidays may be the best skill you can have. It takes some practice, but when you become intuitive with your food and exercise, you’ll be better able to navigate this season in a healthy manner.

- Baking too much….way too much. Here’s a better way: pass on the cookie exchanges this year (your friends will still love you, I promise), and pick one or two of your family’s absolute favorite Christmas cookies to bake. And be done with it!

Remember, the holidays are not about the food. (Back to mistake #3.)

- Thinking you're going to hurt somebody's feelings if you throw food away.

If someone sends you home with leftover food or you're given food as a gift, it's really ok if you don't eat it. You can try one cookie and throw the rest away (or give it to somebody else).

- Eating things you don’t even really like.

Think about all the foods that you’re exposed to over the season, and then think about what you really enjoy and what you can live without. Make a list if that would help. And then simply don’t eat the stuff you don’t like!

- Not utilizing the "sample technique". The “sample technique” is having just small samples of foods when you're at a holiday get-together. You don’t need full servings of dishes to fully enjoy them. Put a small amount on your plate and eat it slowly. Pay attention to the flavors and the textures, and notice whether you like it or not. You can even consider the healthfulness and nutritional quality of that particular food item. And then move on after having just a sample.

Let's break the “glutton” mentality that’s typical this time of year. Sample instead of binge.

- Trying to “undo” bad food choices with a workout, or doing “pre-emptive” workouts so you can eat more.  It doesn't work like this, and it's a horrible mindset. Stop viewing your workouts as just calorie-burners and fat preventers. Workout because it's part of your weekly routine and because it feels good to do so!

And we need to mentally separate our food choices from our exercise choices. Yes, they're both equally important and they sort of go together, but they also need to be autonomous to a certain degree.

- Underestimating the power of vegetables. When you get caught up in the season and start making bad food choices, bring yourself back by eating your veggies. When we have a steady intake of a variety of vegetables, we're going to feel better in general, be less likely to overindulge, have more energy to do our workouts, and stay in control with the foods we put in our mouth.

- Worrying too much about your body. We exhaust way too much mental energy worrying about our bodies this time of year. Instead of worrying about your body, make your healthy habits automatic and just get them done. Do your workouts, eat your PRO’s, have a plan for splurging. Then let the results shake out for themselves.

Above all, be wise. Are you guilty of making any of these holiday mistakes in the past? Let this year be different. Be wise and discerning. Don't just react...plan ahead and be thoughtful. And remember, the holidays aren't about your body or your food anyway. Have a bigger perspective, keep some simple healthy habits in place, and do what you need to do to feel great all season long.

Thanks again for showing up with me today, and until next week...be strong!

More Resources:

• The Postpartum Renew Gift Box

• COMING AGAIN SOON! JUMPSTART30 program - Join the waitlist now!

• The FREE Body Type Quiz

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