Halloween is the kick off to the holiday season. It is the start of the goal crushing holidays and the treat temptations that will become a everyday struggle from now until New Years Day.
Let's be honest, this year has been an emotional struggle due to COVID-19, quarantine and most recently the election. Right now, many of us have homes full of fun sized candy, which we most likely purchased for 75% off this week while waiting for Nevada to finish counting it's ballots.
Those fun size treats make us feel great in the moment but then they get us feeling down about ourselves. Instead of saying “I can turn this around” we end up making more poor choices, this time with our meals or we’ll skip our workouts because we’re having a sugar crash and lack the energy to due them. Sound like your 2020 so far? Cause it sounds a lot like the majority of mine.
Now the holidays are here and many of us are embracing them as the light at the end of the 2020 tunnel.
If you haven't already been making excuses for poor eating and inconsistent workouts, you will use Thanksgiving as one. I'm sure many of us will not be following our normal traditions due to COVID and this can spark some emotional eating. I know this will be the first time ever that I don't watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade since it was cancelled and I'm already sad about it and planning on crying into some cinnamon rolls while watching Miracle on 34th Street instead.
See how quickly we can allow emotions to take over?
Thanksgiving dinner typically then turns into leftovers the next day, followed by hours of shopping and more poor food choices because you’re on the go. Again, I know Black Friday is going to look very different because of COVID but you'll still need to eat and consume coffee to fuel that on-line shopping spree - can you say latte & donut run?!
By the time you complete Black Friday shopping, Small Business Saturday deals and all of the other days retailers have created, Monday will roll around and you’ll be too tired to workout, so you decide “I’ll just start on January 1st.”
The problem with all of this is that we let being busy along with our feelings stand in the way of our goals.
Side note, if you don't have goals you need to go back through the archives and start reading so you can set some. I recommend starting HERE.
Next up are holiday parties (which I know will look different), cookie baking traditions, drinks with friends, and crazy nights of wrapping. We allow each and every one of these events to become more important than our goals…and that shouldn’t be the case.
Every time you allow everything else to be more important than your goals, or you allow a slip up to get the better of you, it gets easier and easier to slip back into old habits. The same old habits that took you months to change can come back in a weekend if you allow them to. Before you know it, all of the progress you’ve made is gone and it’s even tougher to start over. Trust me... been there, done that and it sucks every time.
This holiday season, I don’t want to see that happen to myself (again) or any of you. 2020 has been rough enough! Don’t be an average statistic and allow those 7-10 holiday pounds to creep onto you (on top of the quarantine weight so many of us have gained...I'm guilty here too).
I know the holidays are hectic, I know 2020 has been an emotional rollercoaster, but I also know that we can all carve out 30 minutes a day to get our workout done and we can all make smart food choices 80% of the time. I know you all have time to check Facebook and scroll Instagram or record a new TikTok video, so decide what’s more important. #OwnYourOwnShit
These small decisions can be a goal saver during the holidays and they still allow you to have your favorite food and treats during the season…without feeling bad about it.
What I am asking of you right now is for complete and total honesty…not with me, but with YOURSELF. Where do you want to be come January 1st? Restarting and losing the weight you had already lost ...again? Or do you want to be feeling a sense of confidence and pride because this is the first year you didn’t let the holidays and 2020 bully you into hating the way you look and feel?
I know this is not an easy time of year...hell nothing about this year has been easy. I'm just encouraging you to commit to yourself. I want you to know that you are not alone in the struggles you are probably feeling right now. I want you to find some like-minded people to help you stay accountable, share your struggles with and celebrate your achievements with. I'll be doing this stuff and would love to celebrate with you...so what do you say?
(This post was originally from my old blog and I decided to revamp it and share over here)