5 Steps To Easier Weight Loss During The Holidays

by Nicole Simonin

“Losing weight over the holidays is hard.”

“There are so many food temptations.”

“There is no time to get in workouts.”

“Losing weight is hard.”

But is it REALLY?

The last couple months of the year is typically the time of year when people go into a fog. They start looking at the holidays like the holidays are the problem why they can’t lose weight… when in fact that is a lie.

During the holiday season, do you decide not to brush your teeth or not feed your dog because you have other things to do?

No. You still make time because it’s important to you.

When January rolls in, people start coming out of their fog and the reality of what they have done (or not done) sets in.

“Wow. I’ve gained 15 lbs. How can that be??”

Gym memberships are bought. 12-week weight loss programs are paid for with gusto. Diets are in full force. Restriction sets in. Willpower is demanded. The New Year is when declarations can be heard across the world that this year will FINALLY be the year of change.

So, WHO told you it’s “the holidays” that are derailing your efforts? It’s you.

YOU are the one telling yourself “it’s hard to lose weight over the holidays”.

You are LYING to yourself.

December can be your best month to set you up for SUCCESS for January and beyond.

Stop telling yourself you do not have time.

Stop making choices that are taking you further from your goals.

Stop lying to yourself.

You are always in control.

You ALWAYS have a choice.

You just need to know what to do.

So how do you do this?

Awareness

Having awareness not just in what you are doing…eating the desserts or skipping the workout. But noticing what thoughts are running through your head. “I shouldn’t eat the desserts, but I know this dessert is only available this time of year.” This is about gaining more insight on what is going on inside your mind. You see the action you are taking then taking note of what you are thinking at that time.

Questioning

After you are noticing what you are doing and thinking, then you want to question and get curious. Why are those thoughts popping in your head? Is that dessert really ONLY available this time of year? Our brains love drama. It will tell you that this is the absolute LAST holiday cookie of this kind on the planet. When you question it you realize you could probably get this cookie shipped in from some part of the world or find the ingredients and make it yourself. Question everything your brain pulls up. “Is this really true?”

Without Judgement

We are our worst critics. When awareness is present in follows judgment. You will judge what you are doing…”I shouldn’t be eating that” or “why am I thinking that? That’s ridiculous!” Judgement will always be there. It is a safety mechanism. But it does not mean we need to entertain it. Having awareness, being curious without letting judgment get in our way is a huge step in setting your mindset up for successful weight loss.

Understanding Your Priorities

If you are aiming to become a leaner version of yourself, how are you being that new version of you? What does this new version of you do over the holidays? How do they think and act? How much of a priority is this new version of you right now? You can learn a lot about what you truly want by looking at your actions. Do your actions line up with this new leaner version? If not, then you have some thought blocks in your way (go back to getting curious or hire a coach that deals with mindset so that they can help you achieve this leaner you.)

Decide

Being decisive gives you a clear direction in which you want to go and eliminates all other paths in front of you. When you DECIDE you are becoming this leaner version of you, you will become very clear of the obstacles in your way. This will help you discern and make smaller decisions faster.

The Ping Pong Effect

If you are brand new to mindset work, following the above steps may have you feel like there is a ping pong match going on inside your head…” I am positive what to do” then “I have no clue what to do”. This is normal. The more skilled you get in understanding the way you think and what outcomes you get from thinking that way the less of a battle there will be inside your head.

Losing weight is a practice and not a destination. Even when you get to the body you want to live in you will still be making little tweaks here and there. Use this simple process above as you go through the holidays. You can eat the holiday dessert and goodies and have fun as you are creating the body you want to live in….even over the holiday season.

NICOLE SIMONIN is a Health Coach, Personal Trainer, Behavior Coach, podcast host of “Weight Loss for Women Over 40”, tv host of “Healthy Travel with Nicole”, 2 x TEDx Speaker, author of “The No Fuss, No Mess Cookbook” former Physical Therapist Assistant and former professional ballet dancer. Nicole has been featured in Rachael Ray in Season, Bicycling Magazine, Real Simple and MSN. Learn more at NicoleSimonin.com