Coming into December can bring on a lot of conflicting emotions. On the one hand maybe you love the holidays but on the other, you feel anxious about how you look and feel around other people and in social situations! It gets worse when you have more social situations with people who haven’t seen you for a while because you are painfully aware that you either gained weight or didn’t succeed in the diet you were on last year! Does any of this resonate with you?

For many people the Holidays can be a pretty painful time if you are overweight. You are constantly surrounded by all the foods you love, people to trigger your emotions and the self loathing that comes with feeling you ‘shouldn’t’ have anything. There is an abundance of social pressure to eat more and often people making comments around your eating habits. It’s no wonder that this time of year can be difficult when you add all that up. It can be a melting pot of all your worst triggers in one place at one time! Worry not! I’ve got your back!

Here are a few of my best Holiday tips to start you off!

1. I know that you might not feel like it now, but it is important to remember that your weight is not the sum of who you are! It isn’t your courage, sense of humour, intelligence, quick wit or kindness! It is your size. Try not to let it rule the Holidays and dictate how you feel around everyone else. Only YOU can decide not to let it spoil another Christmas!
2. Predict the people and situations that are going to hurt you. For example if falling off the wagon with your food choices is going to make you miserable then predict the situations that are likely to cause you a problem and plan around them!
3. Have a good and balanced breakfast on the big day! Include a protein, fat, carbohydrate and vegetable! Seriously this will save you from feeling so hungry you have no self control! Make your life easier by not going into situations hungry! Try not to skip meals!
4. Alcohol is always something we can run into over the Holidays. Try not to drink on an empty stomach, drink plenty of water and of course limit the sugary mixers and your body will thank you!
5. If you are emotionally triggered by something that leads to a binge then the important thing is to move on! It’s what you do tomorrow that counts and how you handle yourself afterwards that will make the difference! Eating a box of chocolates is one thing, eating a box of chocolates and then deciding everything is ruined and eating the rest of the Holiday food in the house is another! Try to put these actions into perspective. Your efforts are not ruined!

If you have been dieting forever it can be very stressful to let go a little and not judge every little thing you eat and every workout you miss. The all or nothing approach is one of the most difficult mindsets to have especially around the Holidays! If you are trying to get out of the diet cycle and learn to lose weight without dieting then this could be a big challenge for you. You are likely wondering what you can and can’t have! Perhaps you can make a plan of how you will balance your plate this season? Another great tool is deciding your non negotiable rule can be not skipping meals? It’s ok to put some boundaries in there for yourself if you feel you need them! Instead of making them about WHAT you are eating, perhaps try making it about HOW you are eating! This will show you that there are so many more ways to eat well during the holidays than counting calories!

No matter what your holiday struggles are there are always ways to prepare for them. If you know what you are going to do and how you are going to handle each situation then your life will be a lot less stressful and a lot more fun!

As always, drop me comment below, plus don’t forget to join my private Facebook Group if you haven’t done so already……and remember The Full-Bodied Evolution Members Club has a wealth of materials and a growing community of like-minded people to help you on your weight loss journey! Plus, you can always find me on both Instagram and Pinterest for more lifestyle food and fitness tips!

….and don’t forget to listen to The Full-Bodied Evolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!