There is no doubt that the next four weeks represent the year’s most challenging time period to try to lose weight. Most of us will be attending a number of social gatherings to celebrate the holiday season and New Years. These events do not usually take place at a gym or Pilates studio. Rather, the functions are festive occasions laden with alcohol drinks and many carbohydrate/sugar containing food offerings.
It is very difficult to celebrate the love and fun of being with the special (or not so special) people in our lives and not partake of the accompanying customary food and drink choices. To some extent, being on a “weight loss” journey this time of year subtracts from our enjoyment, as we feel stressed out because of the pressure to join the rest of the crowd in the eating/drinking behaviors typical for these events.
As mentioned before the Thanksgiving holiday, the very first step is to go in with the mindset that you are “CHOOSING” to keep the alcohol/carbs minimized as opposed to “I CAN’T”. Human nature is such that we are much more amenable to behavior patterns that are self-imposed rather than “rules” that are imposed on us.
When it comes to alcohol, no one around you will know whether that drink in your glass contains 3 ounces of gin and 6 ounces of (diet) tonic water or 0.25 ounces of gin and 8.75 ounces of diet tonic. Placing the twizzle stick and lime in that drink containing the minimal alcohol component will “fool” others around you and keep them away from chiding you about not “drinking” with them. The “herd mentality” is such that people tend to coerce others into joining them in eating/drinking behaviors that are not “healthy”. Hey, if everyone is doing it, then it must be okay, right?
Try to keep motivated by the issue that we do not want to be one of those millions of people that wait until January 1 to get on the scale, lament our past behavior, and proclaim some sort of resolution. If we act now, we will save ourselves from those extra pounds that many pack on during the next 4 weeks. Paying attention now will make it much easier to get to our goal weight sooner. Hey, spring and summer are not that far off, right?
Lastly, if you have not been in for a FREE body scan for awhile, come on in to say “hi” to us and get that scan. The SP Team and I will most definitely provide you with some positive encouragement to get back in the “I want to be healthy and happy” mode.
When it comes to weight loss there is nothing easy about the next four weeks, but if it were easy, everyone would do it, right? It’s the “hard” that makes it more rewarding.
