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Say the word " holidays" and women with food issues
start to fidget.
It's the time of year when many of us find it hard
to stay focused, hard to stay motivated, hard to exercise,
easy to get too busy, too tempted, or just too down in the
dumps to eat and exercise sensibly.
It's hard to go to the gym when it is cold and snowing-harder
still to get outside and walk.
At parties, the gauntlet of buffet tables and Christmas
punch can make it easy to give in to that old self-sabotaging
voice that whispers, "Oh, what the heck, I'm not going
to be able to manage this well, so I might as well enjoy
myself." The result is numb out-"pig out"-and
ultimately a push of the self-destruct button.
Cooking for the family and generally "doing
for others" can fan the flames of self-pity and low
self esteem.
No wonder that for so many of us the holidays are not only
a time of joy, family, and festivity, but also cause for anxiety,
even dread! But there is hope. The way to get through the
holidays is simple-although not always easy. Stay positive,
passionate and committed to yourself and your ultimate, long
term goal, and don't worry too much about the details. Add
a touch of gratitude and a pinch of humor and you'll have
a wonderful time. Here are a few Green Mountain tips to help
you through.
Stay in Charge
Now, at the start of the season, is the time to realistically
assess your personal holiday pitfalls and plan ahead. After
all, planning is key to overcoming any challenge. Consider
these examples.
Fitness
If you walk every day but it's usually outside, plan
an alternative winter walking routine. Scope out a local
mall for mall walking in bad weather. But remember, if you
have good boots, mittens, gloves and warm clothes, walking
outside can be fun!
Vary walking with an outdoor winter sport like skiing
or skating (sign up for lessons). Or join a gym or health
club and vary between the treadmill and the elliptical trainer
all winter long. Either one is a great way to get some reading
done while you exercise.
Plan things you will enjoy and set aside time for
them. But most of all be realistic. If tight holiday scheduling
or fatigue keeps you from planned exercise, just chalk it
up and keep going. Don't waste time beating yourself up.
Look ahead, not back, and keep the long term plan in mind.
Eating
Think through situations that may challenge you to
eat mindfully before you actually face them-the family dinner,
the office party, the Christmas buffet, the cocktail parties.
Plan to start with a reasonable amount of what you
want, and savor every bite (see sidebar).
Continue to eat regular, balanced meals; don't "save"
calories so you can eat what you want at the big event.
You'll only set yourself up for overeating; you will be
better able to decide what you really want if you come to
the meal well-fed and not too hungry.
Assess the effect that alcohol has on your ability
to stay mindful. If it presents a challenge, drink while
you are eating, instead of before. The alcohol is more slowly
absorbed that way.
Eat Passionately
This is the time of year for special foods and lots of them-go
with the flow. Look forward to this opportunity to savor and
enjoy. The trick is not to be afraid of the food but to stay
mindful.
Close your eyes and let go of internal thoughts about
what is healthy, unhealthy or fattening as well as your
fears about overeating.
Think about what you really want to eat and let your
taste buds and your spirit soar. If you savor the experience
itself of eating-smell, texture, density and taste -- and
experience every bite mindfully, you will be less apt to
numb out and find yourself devouring a plate of cookies
without even knowing it.
Truly experiencing the food will help you stay in
charge. It's not necessarily how much you eat-it's how that
counts.
Be Clear about Your Goals
Holiday time is not a time to excuse total lapse of mindfulness
or to encourage dreary calorie counting and self-denial. It
is a time to balance your food and health concerns with a
healthy dose of 'grown-up' behavior. Make a decision about
what you really want this holiday, be clear about what you
need to do to get it, decide whether it's the right choice
for you at this time, then take the responsibility for your
decision. More examples:
If you've been working hard to improve your fitness,
and you don't want the holidays to mark any slowdown in
your progress, then recognize that you need to stay committed
to mindful eating, and to keeping a regular physical activity
program in place. Make concrete plans that will help you
stay committed, as discussed above.
Maybe you want to use the holidays as an opportunity
to take on some of your normal eating challenges, such as
learning to live with a box of chocolate in the house without
eating it all immediately. In that instance, it will help
to understand that you may find yourself enjoying the chocolate
a little more often than you really want to. But that can
be part of finding out you don't want it as much as you
thought, and is therefore key to your learning process.
In any case, realize ahead of time that you may find
yourself questioning your behaviors - after all, they are
new to you. Tell yourself to stay mindful, trust what you
are feeling, and avoid second guessing yourself.
Above all, remember to accept yourself. That means
your good points as well as your flaws. Pat yourself on
the back for what you are doing and don't focus on what
you haven't done. When you are thinking about gifts for
friends and family, think about giving the gift of a truly
enjoyable holiday season to your very best friend-you!
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