Dive into my best tips for sustainable weight loss, vibrant health, and unstoppable body confidence.
It's that time again, the holiday season is officially upon us and here is my holiday vision for you:
You go through your days enjoying seasonal treats without stress, regret, or going overboard.
You effortlessly navigate holiday parties, family gatherings, and travel.
You enter into the new year feeling good in your skin but not feeling like you had to deprive yourself to get there.
How do we make that happen? By following my 12 holiday hacks!
1. Make small swaps in your favorite recipes...
I need to tell you something that's probably going to make you mad... I never gain weight over the holidays.
Is it because I don't let myself have any holiday treats? No.
Is it because I make myself workout an hour a day? No.
Is it because I skip all the holiday parties and boozy drinks? Nope.
I thoroughly partake in all of the fun of the season! But I do have a few habits that keep me from getting so far off course that have to start back at ground zero come January...
OK so I know New Years resolutions have gotten a bad rap over the years, especially if they are directed at weight loss goals.
The statics aren't in your favor and you have likely experienced the disappointment of falling off the wagon come mid-February multiple times over.
But I have to be honest, I'm out here rooting for us to bring the new year's resolution back!
It's a fresh start, a new beginning, an opportunity unlike any other throughout the year to reflect on what you really want and make a sweeping...
Years ago, whenever the holidays came around, I always felt like I had to make a choice. A choice between...
The part of me that wanted to fully embrace the holiday season, savoring my favorite traditions and treats.
And the part of me that wanted desperately to avoid the dreaded holiday weight that seemed to be an inevitability of the season.
But after years of turmoil, I realized...
The answer wasn't to choose one side over the other.
The answer wasn't...
Raise your hand if this has happened to you...
You head into the holidays intent on maintaining the healthy habits you've been working on over the last 9 months.
You know how to make healthier treats, you've been practicing moderation, and you're excited to finally make it to the New Year without an extra 10 pounds of fluff around your midsection.
And then... you visit your family.
You walk in the door and before you've set your suitcase down your mom is pinching the skin on your hips asking if...
Aaaaah Thanksgiving, a wonderful day to reconnect with family, to remind ourselves all we have to be grateful for... and to stuff our bellies to the brim.
Now I know right off the bat if I even mention the idea of making healthier choices on Thanksgiving there will be people who get immediately defensive: "I'm not going to worry about eating healthy on Thanksgiving! It's THANKSGIVING!"
And to that I say, hear me out.
Because I'm not here to take away your favorite dishes...
It was the first week of November, 2003. I was 11 years old and had my stash of Halloween candy stuffed into the corner of my closet.
I was old enough that my mom didn't throw part of it away or moderate my intake, so I did what a lot of kids would do at one of their first chances at unlimited candy... I ate it. All of it.
Each night after dinner when everyone had gone to bed, I would pull out the giant bag, put it on my bed, and eat while watching Nick at Night.
This was the first time I ever abused...
A lot of times around the holidays we have 1 of 2 MO's when it comes to nutrition:
1: Fuck it! It's the holidays! I'm eating all the things! #treatyoself #ilovecookies #whatsaworkout? #yolo
or 2: I'm going to be good this year. I don't need that cookie. Nope, no holiday cocktail for me. S'mores? No thanks....... Fast forward to standing in front of the fridge at midnight eating every dessert in site.
This is what is properly known as the all-or-nothing mindset. And as you can see, it rarely leads to good...
Thanksgiving. During a NORMAL year it's a minefield of stuffing, pies, and alcohol, threatening to send us down the slippery slope of holiday season fuck-it-ness.
Then 2020 came along and said, "Hold my pumpkin beer."
This season we aren't facing the desire to overindulge with the fam. We're staring down the challenge of keeping our heads (or more accurately, our waistlines) while possibly feeling extreme stress, loneliness, and grief over what we're missing out on this year.
And THAT can be a recipe...
1. DO NOT beat yourself up, wallow in regret, or fall down the cycle of self-hatred. You aren't broken, or weak, or a failure because you went 'off plan.'
DO forgive yourself, figure out what your triggers were and how you can handle them differently next time, and move on. And remember, there's no magic trick to this.
2. DO NOT do a juice cleanse. The extreme swings will just jack up your metabolism and set you up for a cycle of binging and cleansing.
DO try a whole-foods based reset like a mini...
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