Eat, Drink and be Healthy
I felt compelled to write some holiday motivation/advice, as I have seen a drastic drop off of people submitting food logs over the last month, as well as a bit of a drop in class attendance. This is NOT meant to make anyone feel guilty! Because I am also writing this for myself. I am not sure what it is about the holidays that causes people to meander from their goals…fitness and/or nutrition-wise. I suspect the reasons are different for everyone, but are essentially similar in the end. We get busy, we feel indulgent, temptation is everywhere, we don’t want to offend grandma by not sampling her special chocolate cake or pudding…
I am no different, I stray! For me I think it is more about the nostalgia…wanting to re-create some childhood memories. I have pie on Thanksgiving, a candy cane or two around Christmas and I love a good chocolate bar in my stocking. What I notice and seem to ask myself every year…is it worth it? Sometimes, yes. I do believe you have to live a little. But there are questions to keep in mind, like… does it work for YOU? Where you are at now? You have to know your limits and set yourself some ground rules.
For me, what I do notice is how crazy my cravings get and how hard it can be to STOP snacking after indulging. I still struggle with sugar, and honestly the more I can keep it out of my life, the better I do. It is seriously addictive stuff!
Case in point…I made some almond flour ginger snaps, courtesy of a Facebook Group post. (Jackie, I love/hate you for this recipe!) I ate four. In one day….it might have even been in the same hour…but we don’t have to tell people that…The next day I bagged up several of the remaining ones and gave them to Steve and Chelsea. I should have just gotten rid of them all! Because if it is there, and gluten-free, I will eat it. And eat them I did.
What is important to stress here is that I am NOT abandoning nutrition as I know it. I didn’t give up and just start binging on pasta, pizza and chips. I am fortunately at a point in my life where eating healthy, real food is not a struggle or challenge for me anymore. It is simply my life. But if you are someone who is newer to this lifestyle, please hear this if nothing else:
You have NOT ruined everything you have worked for if you eat some <insert chosen junk food here>!
One of my favorite quotes from a podcaster I like goes something along the lines of “It’s not what you do between Christmas and New Years that counts, it’s what you do between New Years and Christmas.” This is so true.
So my advice for surviving the holiday season…
- Don’t let a treat or cheat ruin your day. Enjoy it and MOVE ON.
- “The Wagon” you fall off of is proverbial folks…so don’t wait till Monday to “start” again. Start with your next bite of food.
- Don’t starve yourself before a big holiday meal. Seriously. You will be less likely to gorge yourself and ultimately save yourself from a large amount of discomfort.
- Keep fitness a priority. I know it gets busy, but if you can keep working out a few days a week and sneak in a walk or two (the weather has been very cooperative!) it will be all that much easier to bounce back after the New Year. It will also help keep your energy up and your stress down.
- Decide, truly make a conscious decision, if eating something is worth it. Are we talking about a crap-filled store-bought pie or a slice of grandmas homemade pecan pie? Would you rather have the trans-fat filled cookie from the tin at work or bake something from real ingredients with your kid to leave out for Santa?
- Which leads me to my final tip…if having a holiday treat is important to you, go get yourself a Paleo-themed cookbook, google some recipes or check out some of my favorite sites linked below, for some healthier spins on desserts and other favorites!
www.civilizedcavemancooking.com
Happy holidays everyone, don’t hesitate to email or call and ask questions! (I would MUCH rather talk to you than do desk work 🙂
~Lindsay
I SO needed this! I have really been feeling like a loser since Thanksgiving. Reading this really helped me put things into perspective. I’m human and I’m going hit some bumps along the way. I’ve got to make sure that those bumps are worth it, and if they aren’t…keep my mouth shut 🙂 Thank you!
Lindsay, Praise the Lord!! What a great reminder to not beat ourselves up too badly for a little indulgence at Christmas, and to try to stay on track too. Merry Christmas to you, Dr Czys and everyone there. Yes, much more important what is done between New Years and Christmas. What a great point!