The hardest part of the holiday season has now passed! Wow! Did you dodge all the bullets? What indulgences did you choose? What is the plan for 2017? Do you have a goal? Are you just interested in maintaining where you’re at?
Here are a few tips on leaving the holidays behind and getting back to a healthy, balanced routine:
1) Get rid of the leftovers! Once Christmas dinner is over I put everything in Ziploc bags and send it home with my guests or give it to my neighbors. Leaving leftovers in the house just leads to more indulgences.
2) Get rid of all the sweets that have been given as gifts! Everyone thinks they are doing you a big favor by gifting you your favorite chocolate or special dessert that they know you love. I take all of these items and re-gift them to my neighbors or a local office or store that can put them out on the front desk. If I have these things in the house, I will eat them!!
3) Write down your plan! If you are heading back into phase 1, start tomorrow and you will be back into ketosis by Friday! Those 2 or 3 pounds that were gained over the weekend will be long gone! Figure out how much you would like to lose and divide that by 2 pounds a week and write down the date that you will be at your goal and going into phase 2. MAKE A PLAN!!
4) Make a plan for New Year’s Eve! Are you planning to have a glass of champagne? Are you going to a special dinner or party? Make a plan for this indulgence and pick one thing for that evening. Just because NYE is next week, doesn’t mean you need to keep indulging between Christmas and New Year’s.
5) Tell your friends and family your plan! Make sure that they are aware that during the month of January through whenever you plan to finish, you will not be drinking or indulging. Ask them to support you during this time so that you can easily stay on track. There is never a good time to start a diet! There will always be a holiday, an anniversary, a birthday party, a vacation, an office get together, etc.
6) Write down why you want to lose weight! It’s not just about a number. We all have a number and every time we get to that number we want to lose 5 pounds more. I’ve never gotten to a number that I was completely happy at. This year I just want to feel great in everything that I wear. I don’t want the waist on my pants pinching. I don’t want to buy the next size up. I have a great wardrobe! Just because I recently turned 55 doesn’t mean I have to gain weight! Just because my genetics show that the majority of my family is/was overweight, doesn’t mean that I have to be!!
7) Make health and wellness your number one interest! It’s a known fact that the things that we focus on and surround ourselves with is what we become. If our focus is watching the food channel and reading Bon appétit magazine, chances are we are heading in that direction. If we are reading about health and wellness and surrounding ourselves with friends that enjoy hiking and exercise, chances are we will be heading in that direction. Surround yourself with what you want to become!
8) GET TO THE STORE! Be sure you have all of your healthy foods on hand and you are prepped and ready for success!