Originally I was planning to write a 'Christmas Survival Guide' with tips & tricks for getting through the Christmas period. But then I thought hold on a minute, Christmas is supposed be a time to celebrate and have fun (especially after the year we've all had!). So why just survive when you can thrive?
Are you a Christmas Thriver or a Survivor? Find out below...
SURVIVE: You're focused on simply surviving and getting through Christmas without 'ruining' your progress or gaining holiday weight. You're so fearful of Christmas calories that it takes away from the festive fun.
THRIVE: You throw yourself into the festivities - you eat foods you like and enjoy them as you would normally. You try to be mindful of when you feel full but acknowledge that overindulgence might happen on a few occasions over Christmas. If you eat more than you had planned, you don't let it spoil your fun because you know that just as progress can't be made in a day, it can't be lost in a day either.
SURVIVE: You restrict what you can eat, avoiding "bad" foods and not allowing yourself to eat things you truly want - like roast potatoes, mince pies & christmas pudding. This leaves you feeling unsatisfied. You eventually say "F*** it, it's Christmas!" and give in to all the "bad" foods you'd been trying so hard to avoid. You overeat and end up feeling guilty about it.
THRIVE: You eat without restrictions but set healthy boundaries with yourself. For example, you decide what days you will be celebrating & eating less mindfully than normal (maybe 25th Dec, 31st Dec and the day you have a big family get together or party). You also decide when you will open the bottle of baileys, tub of quality streets etc. You decide these boundaries and stick to them as best you can.
SURVIVE: You try to 'save' calories by skipping entire meals. and starving yourself before big dinners. You go from feeling so hungry you could faint to so full you could be sick. All in all, it doesn't make for a very enjoyable time.
THRIVE: You avoid letting yourself get overly hungry. If Christmas dinner is running late and you start to feel yourself getting excessively hungry, you eat a piece of fruit or a light snack to keep you going. You enjoy your meal much more because you can take the time to properly taste it instead of eating at 100mph.
SURVIVE: You hop on the scales on Jan 1st to assess the "damage" knowing full well how it will make you feel - and it does. In a bid to feel better about yourself, you go for a run and start the latest fad diet. This doesn't last long because you hate running and get bored of eating bland salads & chicken for every meal. You feel even worse than before.
THRIVE: After the festivities are over ,you get back to eating and exercising normally at the Nourishment Academy. You don't bother jumping on the scales on 1st Jan or even 2nd or 3rd. You realise that even if you are holding onto some additional weight, it's likely to just be water retention from the large amounts of salt/carbs eaten over the xmas period. Your weight quickly returns to normal and you feel rested and ready for the year ahead.
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