Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Tis the season for sabotaging

The Tales from the Scales post today is fantastic. It talks a lot about the holiday season and how things can get out of control. But the best thing you can do for yourself is to eat right and healthy, and treat this like any other day of the year and make it the best day that you can.

This time of the year is really hard for people who are dieting, and I really was thinking about it. Thinking, why do people fall off track? why is it so easy? Every year I have fallen victim to falling off track, and come new years, I look at the pictures of myself and think, god I need to lose weight. I hate that time of the year every year and yet I continued to make it a habit to eat my heart out all thanksgiving/xmas season and then hate myself by new years.

The very nature of xmas seems to have turned into EXCESS. people eat, drink, spend money, buy presents, run around like crazy, etc. and I think the very idea of xmas is lost in all of that. whether you are religious or not, it doesnt seem to me that xmas should be about any of those things. And trust me, I am guilty of it too. I was one of those crazy people trying to hunt down a Wii for my boyfriend (with no luck).

I think one reason that people fall off track is that as soon as Thanksgiving hits, everyone is so consumed with the "holiday pounds". You hear it all around, how to still lose weight this season, how to eat healthy, etc. I think people believe they will fail before they even try. All you hear is how people are going to gain weight and how everyones resolution is to lose weight. Its almost like its accepted to gain weight, its accepted to overeat. I will be the first to admit that there are temptations all around during the holiday season. Every day this week someone has made xmas cookies. and I look at them all day. But when you really think about it, there are temptations every day. If you can get through every other day of the year, why cant you get through one more?

To me, I have worked really hard since August this year to lose weight. I have come so far and the last thing I want to do is gain any weight back that I have fought hard to lose. Im not saying Im perfect or that I know everything, but I can speak for myself and I know that so far this season, I really havent found it hard to resist any extra temptation. Because to me, its just no longer worth it. Sure a cookie tastes fantastic, but it doesnt make me feel as great as when I went into the Gap and bought size 16 jeans and a "L" shirt.

So that is my present to myself this year. To maintain my healthy eating. Sure I will probably eat some things that I shouldnt and that arent the healthiest. Sure I will probably overeat at times. But the reality is, this is no different than the rest of the year. There are always parties, special dinners, suprise visits from family, etc. that will throw things your way. If you can work through them and stick to the way that you want to eat and live, then I think anything is possible. I am taking this holiday season on and Im going to beat it. Because really, its no different than anything else I have faced. At this point, I have already gone through some hard times enough to know that its just not worth it to fall off track. Plus, the fact that I dont eat packaged or any type of junk food also helps that I really have cured my "sugar addiction". I dont really desire those kinds of food anymore and that is why this has been a lot easier for me. I think if you really rid your body of those processed foods, it is so much easier to overcome all of these sweets and food this holiday season.

While for some, this is a lot easier said than done and I get that. Its not that simple. I think that as long as you do the best that you can do, that is all that matters. You dont HAVE to overeat, indulge, gain weight this holiday season. Regardless of the holiday gain almost becoming accepted and expected by many people, you can be the exception and then feel great about yourself on through the new year while everyone else is still losing that "holiday weight".

If you really strip down xmas and forget about the food and drinks, and money and gifts, and just enjoy it as a time of year to enjoy friends and family, and give, then I think people are better able to focus on what it really is about rather than just food.

5 comments:

Teale said...

I think you are SO right about people feeling doomed before they even face the holidays... they assume they will gain & that the temptation will be so strong that they will HAVE to have that weight loss resolution... that's such self-sabotage, but so many people do it! Not this year!

Mom said...

Amen!! You nailed that one!

Scale Junkie said...

You are so right! I'm eating way too much and the exercise will only carry the maintenance for so long. I need to STOP right now. Christmas Eve is 12 days away. I can eat healthy for 12 days and my body and heart will thank me for it! I really need this little pep talk today! Thanks Heather!!

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MB said...

Everyday is a battle but it is so much harder this time of year. I'm hoping to just hold steady and not gain until after the holidays. Wishing you a happy and HEALTHY holiday and New Year. :)

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