Tag Archive for: holiday eating

5 Ways to Be Mindful of Your Eating this Holiday Season

Can you believe that it’s already November and that the holiday season is upon us?

 

For so many of my clients, the holiday season was filled with anxiety, not only because of all the prep work, but they were also concerned about all the weight they would gain. They always worried that there were so many delicious treats and foods during the holidays that they wouldn’t trust themselves and would eat with abandon.

 

They didn’t understand that there was a way that they could enjoy the holidays and respect their body at the same time.

 

Everything changed for them when they decided to work with me on intuitive eating journey. They began eating mindfully and focused on how the food was making them feel rather than the calories they contained. They took the time to savor each bite while maintaining an awareness of their eating habits.

 

Here are 5 ways that you too can stay mindful during the holiday season.

 

  1. Slow Down. 

 

Are you typically the first person at the table to finish your meal? Before you begin eating, think about how you will proceed to eat your meal. Consciously decide that you will slow down and allow at least 20-30 minutes to eat. Take the time to appreciate the food you are eating. And remember, you can always save whatever you don’t eat for leftovers.

 

  1. Sit Down at the Table. 

 

Eating while standing in front of the refrigerator, buffet table, or while walking around will decrease your attention and satisfaction with your meal. You may have a whole plate of food in front of you when you started to make your rounds around the party, and an empty one at the end without consciously taking a single bite. Instead, fill your plate with foods you really want to eat and plan to sit while eating. Friends and family will likely join you and you can enjoy nice conversation while being more mindful of your eating.

 

  1. Savor your Food. 

 

Focus on each bite of food that you put into your mouth. Experience the taste, texture, flavors, and aroma of the food. Try to identify the different flavors of the food. Is it sweet, salty, sour, crunchy, or smooth? Do you like it, dislike it, or it’s just okay? If you aren’t fully satisfied with it, don’t finish it. Try not to feel pressed to finish foods that doesn’t satisfy you.

 

  1. Be in the Moment. 

 

Are you fully present when you are eating or are you eating with a bunch of distractions around you? Be sure to turn off the television and avoid reading or talking on the phone while eating. These activities take away from the mindfulness of eating. You may even need to take a moment to zone out of the conversation around you to fully immerse yourself in the meal.

 

  1. Put Your Fork Down. 

 

Observe what you do with your silverware during the meal. Do you keep it in your hand? Are you preparing the next bite of food on the fork while chewing what’s in your mouth? When you turn your attention to the next bite, you are not being mindful and completely miss the food that you are currently eating. Instead of enjoying the food in your mouth, you are focusing on matters beyond the present. So, this year, put your fork down on the table while you are chewing and give all your attention to the food in your mouth.

 

These mindful eating tips are a start! But pay attention if the sneaky diet mentality turns these tips into rules!

 

If so, it’s time to address your mindset, beliefs, and move away from the diet mentality.

 

Send me a DM on Facebook, Instagram, or simply email me if you want support on your intuitive eating journey.

 

 

No Food Guilt this Holiday Season

You love the holiday season, but you also fear the holiday season. You know what I mean. You love the get-togethers, and you love the food! But you are also worried about all the food that will be around.

 

One of the most common pitfalls I see around the holiday season is the idea of EXTREMES!

It goes like this:

 

You promise yourself …

 

“I’m not going to eat anything I shouldn’t eat”.

OR

“Forget it, I’m just going to enjoy and eat what I want, and I’ll start again in January!”

 

Neither one of these extremes will support you on your Intuitive Eating journey through the holidays.

 

What would it feel like to actually enjoy your favorite holiday food without the food guilt?

 

Join me in my upcoming LIVE Workshop How to Enjoy the Holiday Season Without Overwhelm and Overeating where you will learn to Feed Your Mind, Body, and Spirit. Feel Healthy, Happy and Strong.

 

Monday, November 15, 2021. Register HERE!

4 Ways to Deal with Food and Body Comments at Your Holiday Dinner

Why is it that people think they have the right to comment on what you’re eating or not eating? To me, this is synonymous with someone touching a pregnant woman’s belly.

 

No, this is not okay!

 

Yet, it happens All. The. Time.

 

Think back to your last holiday get-together. There you are enjoying the meal when Auntie Mary quietly (or not so quietly) says “Are you allowed to have that? I thought you were on a diet?”

 

Or your partner gives you “the eyes” as you reach for the holiday cookies at dessert time.

 

Or, maybe the conversation at the table is all about what diets everyone will start in the New Year!

 

I recognize that family get-togethers can pose some major obstacles as you navigate your path back towards Intuitive Eating.

 

Here are 4 ways to deal with these invading comments:

 

1.Manage your expectations, know your triggers. If you know that your parent, aunt, partner, cousin etc. typically makes these types of intrusive comments, be ready with a comeback for when they open their mouth. Try something like:

 

“It is not okay to comment on what I’m eating or not eating. Please focus on your own plate.”

 

Simple, straightforward, firm yet respectful at the same time.

 

2. Set boundaries. At the start of the holiday meal, set the boundaries that you would appreciate no diet talk at the table. You can say something like:

 

“I would like to ask a favor of everyone here. I have a hard time hearing about people’s diets, detoxes, plans etc. Those things have caused me to have a difficult relationship with food and my body, and I’m trying to recover. So, let’s keep the conversation “diet-free”.

 

3. Change the subject. When someone makes a comment that is triggering for you, just change the subject and say, “We haven’t seen each other in so long, what have you been up to lately?” Or, “have you read any new books recently. I’m looking for a recommendation.”

 

4. Practice self-care. Rest, movement and stress management are essential to calmly managing situations that otherwise might be irritating. Think about it. If you are exhausted, you have less patience and will either take it out on your family member or on the food. So take some time to build in rest, movement and stress management strategies to keep you calm, cool and collected.

 

What About Food Pushers?

 

A food pusher is someone who continuously asks you to have more food, even after you’ve stated that you don’t want, or that you’ve had enough.

 

We all probably know these types of people. But how do you deal with them?

 

Join me today for a LIVE Training where we will dig deeper into navigating negative food and body talk, AND how to deal with these food pushers.

It’s all happening in the Intuitive Eating for a Diet Free Life private Facebook Group right HERE. Join us!

 

 

Enjoying the Holidays WITHOUT the Fear of Weight Gain

Join me today for a deeper dive LIVE training into today’s topic right HERE. If you’re not a member, just click to join.

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You love the holiday season, but you also fear the holiday season. You know what I mean. You love the get-togethers (even though this year they will look very different) and you love the food! But you are also worried that you will gain weight over the holidays, well, because you always do.

 

Why do you gain weight over the holiday season? It’s a question I ask you to think about.

 

Is it because there is delicious food and pastries constantly around your home and you are eating for what seems like 24/7?

 

Is it because it’s hard to “resist” your favorite food when everyone else is enjoying it?

 

Is it because you figure you’ll just enjoy it now, after all “it’s the holidays”, and you’ll get back “on track” on January 1st?

 

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, it’s your DIET MENTALITY speaking.

 

(And if you answered no, but there is another reason you gain weight over the holidays, please share in the comments below. I’d love to chat about it.)

 

Avoiding the Holiday Weight Gain Mentality

It might seem like changing your mindset is difficult. I’m not going to say it’s easy, but it IS possible. Here are 3 ways:

  1. Believe in yourself. If you don’t believe you CAN, you won’t. So, take a moment and ask – “Do I really want to change my mindset?” If you think for one minute that changing your mindset means you will feel deprived, you will continue in the diet mentality. Why? Because restriction, whether physically or psychologically, will lead to deprivation which leads to binge eating.

 

Commit to removing all thoughts of diets, weight loss/gain, and black and white thinking. Just this commitment alone will change the results you’ll get.

 

  1. Promise yourself you will NOT start a new diet in January. Oh yes, it’s SO easy to say you’ll start over in the New Year and that THIS year will be the year that you finally lose weight, right? This statement alone gives you the permission you are seeking to eat with abandon during the month of December. But this never works out the way you plan.

 

This year, promise yourself that you will absolutely not repeat the mistakes of past years. And remember, if there is even a tiny thought in your subconscious that you will in fact start a diet in January, your behaviors around food will be affected. So, make this promise to yourself, both consciously and subconsciously.

 

  1. Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. You want the apple pie? Enjoy a piece – at dessert time when everyone else is eating it, not later in the kitchen sneaking a piece when no one is looking.

 

You don’t gain weight by enjoying a holiday meal with dessert. Or even two. But you do gain weight when you deprive yourself and sneak eat later in the evening. Which by the way, then leads you to do the same the next day, and the next, until you “start over”. See how the diet mentality works here?

 

Tell yourself you can eat what you want; the key is to stay tuned in and present while you are eating. This way, you savor and enjoy it, without any guilt.

I will be delving deeper into these ideas today on a free training: How to Avoid the Weight Gain Mentality. It’s happening in my private Facebook Group, so join us here!

 

 

 

 

5 Ways to Overcome Overeating During the Holidays

It’s no secret that it’s easy to overindulge during the holiday season. Between the abundance of food offered and available along with a packed social calendar filled with parties and festivities, it can be easy to overeat. However, if you don’t stay mindful, it can develop into an unhealthy habit that results in weight gain and an increased risk of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

Oftentimes, the holiday season can bring on difficult emotions which leads you to eating emotionally. Breaking the cycle of emotional eating and overeating can be challenging, but I know you can do it.

Here are 5 Tips to Overcome Overeating During the Holidays

  1. Practice Self Care. Rest, exercise, and stress management are essential components of a healthy life, and when ignored, it’s easy to turn to foods high in sugar and fat as a way to manage your energy and emotions. The fact is, stress increases cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite levels. Therefore, being stressed can lead to increased hunger, overeating, and, ultimately, weight gain. By making a conscious effort to practice self-care by reducing stress, you can help prevent overeating.

Holiday Tip: Maintain a regular sleep and exercise schedule and find a buddy to keep you accountable during this busy season. Manage stress by listening to music, gardening, practicing yoga, meditation, exercise, and breathing techniques.

  1. Minimize Distractions. From scrolling through your Facebook feed during lunch or eating popcorn while watching your favorite TV show, being distracted during mealtime can cause you to overeat. Distracted eating can also cause you to eat more food later in the day because you do not realize or remember what you consumed at the prior meal.

Holiday Tip: Make an intention to unplug from phones, computers, and other reading materials (aka magazines), so you can tune into your body and the food you are eating.

  1. Understand Your Triggers. Empower yourself for success by understanding what foods or situations might increase your risk to overeat or binge. Simply understanding your struggles can help prevent or at least reduce the frequency of overeating episodes.

Holiday Tip: Remove temptation from your fridge, pantry, or office stash. Share your goals with someone close to you and make a conscious effort not to bring leftover foods home that are tempting.

  1. Use a food and mood diary to help identify patterns and triggers around overeating. Record what you ate, who you were with, how you felt before you ate, how you felt during the meal, and how you felt after. Over time you can reflect and see what food or situations might trigger a binge episode.

Holiday Tip: Practice identifying the emotion before eating your feelings. Were you hungry? Anxious? Angry? Lonely? Tired? Bored? Embarrassed? While it can be uncomfortable to sit through and feel your feelings, it can also be powerful to realize the emotions will pass. Food is only a temporary fix to your feelings.

  1. Eat on a Regular Schedule. Avoid the temptation to save up your calories by not eating all day so you can indulge in dinner or party foods. Waiting to eat until you are starving only leads to overeating! Eating well-balanced meals and snacks regularly help stabilize blood sugars and hunger levels, ultimately empowering you to not overeat later in the day.

Holiday Tip: Aim to fuel and nourish your body regularly by incorporating plant-based fats, lean protein, and high fiber foods at meals and snacks.

If you struggle with overeating, the holiday season can be particularly challenging. While the tips listed above are an excellent place to start, they are just the beginning.

Contact me to schedule a consultation, and we can work on specific strategies for you, empowering you for a healthy and happy holiday and beyond!

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Overcome Holiday Stress Eating with the…

Stress Less EAT LESS™ Program

Bonus: Live Group Coaching and One Month FREE in the Intuitive Eating Mastery Circle Membership Program PLUS MORE!

Get all the details and sign up RISK FREE right HERE!

 

Food Overwhelm (and 3 Strategies to Deal with It)

It’s holiday week. Whether you celebrated Easter this past weekend, or you are still celebrating Passover this week, holiday eating can sometimes pose a problem for those working on giving up dieting to embrace intuitive eating.

 

The goal is to have a more peaceful relationship with food, and to learn to trust that your body knows just what it needs and wants.

 

Yet, with the abundance of foods over the holidays, peace with food might be far from what you are experiencing.

 

Let’s look at 3 obstacles that might come up for you. And, of course, strategies to overcome!

 

1) Food Overwhelm: There is no lack for food, no matter the holiday. But with Passover celebrated for 8 days, I hear from many of my clients that they don’t leave the kitchen. They are forever cooking and serving, and it seems like the family is more hungry than usual during this holiday. The meals have 5 courses to them, and there is no “white space” on the table.

 

Strategy: Review your menus and decide if you really need 5 courses. Most likely you don’t. Most people are satisfied after the second course but continue to eat because more food is served.

 

I did just this this last holiday weekend, and by the end of the meal, my family felt comfortable, satiated and happy. They were able to experience pleasure in the meal because they didn’t walk away from the table overfull.

 

2) Once a Year Favorites: When a certain holiday only comes around once per year, it can pose an inner conflict for you when it comes to foods. With the annual holiday, comes special foods that you usually only eat during this time. The thought of “I can only eat this now, and then I have to wait a full year to eat it again” can instill a mindset of “I better get it all in now.” The future deprivation causes overeating.

 

Strategy: Consider whether these special holiday foods that only come around once per year really have to only be eaten once per year, on this holiday. For example, one of my kids favorite foods during Passover is Cottage Cheese Pancakes. They look forward to it every year and they make sure that it’ll be on my Passover menu at some point throughout the 8 days. I realized one day, “why do I only make these cottage cheese pancakes on Passover? I can surely make them all year round.” And that’s what I did. Don’t get me wrong, they are still something my kids look forward to on Passover, but they don’t have to go overboard on them since they know they can eat them any time of the year.

 

However, I do realize that there are traditional holiday foods that only show up once a year. In this case, the best thing to do is to acknowledge the fact that you will only get to eat this now, but also realize that if you eat slowly and savor every bite, you will no doubt have more pleasure in this special food than if you eat it quickly without really tasting it (which is what happens when you try to get it all in now!)

 

3) Pushy Family Members: We all have them! Those family members that push you to eat more food even after you’ve said you’re full. Or, family members who give you looks when you take more food on your plate (you know, those judge-y people) . This can be very challenging, especially if mixed messages are flying around such as “eat more”, and “the diet starts tomorrow”.

 

Strategy: Do not feel obligated to eat after you’ve decided you are comfortably full. Tell your host that you enjoyed the meal but just cannot eat another bite. For those that appear to judge you when you take food, stand up for yourself and ask them to keep their eyes in their own plate (you can say this more diplomatically if you’d like, but I’ve said it just like this and man, did it shut them up!).

 

As for the endless diet talk, excuse yourself to go to the restroom and remind yourself that you have given up dieting. Have compassion for those folks who are still swimming in diet culture and give yourself a hug that you are staying true to yourself. Then go back to the table and change the topic (“what movie have you seen lately”, works great!).

 

As you continue on your intuitive eating journey, you will see that these obstacles aren’t obstacles any longer. These are opportunities for learning and growth. You’ve got this!

 

Need help on your intuitive eating journey? Just head on over to www.TalkWithBonnie.com and schedule a chat with me.

 

6 Tips to a Mindful Holiday Season

The holiday season is a joyous time, but it can also be a very stressful time. Your celebrations likely include hosting friends and family, which means lots of planning, cooking, cleaning and entertaining. This stress can start to affect how well you listen to your body – which is why it’s extra important this time of the year to take care of yourself.

 

Taking Care of YOU

 

When it comes to taking care of yourself, start with what your body needs.

 

Is it an extra 20 minutes of sleep? Or, making time for yourself to exercise, read a book, or take a bath?

 

Whatever it is that helps you to remain relaxed and calm, make the time each day to do it!  Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks or ask family and friends to help. Your physical and mental health is just as important as everyone else’s!

 

The Day of the Dinner Party

 

You got this! You’ve worked hard to take care of your own needs in the early weeks of December. But now that the big day is here, and your company will be ringing your bell, (or you’re ringing their bell), do you push your needs to the side?

 

Along with taking care of yourself leading up to the holidays, it’s also important to take the steps you need to on the day of the dinner party to ensure you are honoring and respecting your body’s needs.

 

6 Tips to Help You Stay Mindful During the Party

  1. Plan ahead. It’s important to plan ahead so you can enjoy your favorite foods without guilt. The day before the big dinner party, plan out what you will eat for breakfast and lunch that day. It’s important to stay nourished so you don’t arrive at the dinner party too hungry!
  2. Focus on friends and family. The holidays are all about spending time with your family and friends (I know you know this, but it can be challenging to remember this when you are not at peace with food). Give thought to something special that you love about each guest, and be sure to tell them how you feel. Put the focus on them, not the food.
  3. Savor your food. Focus on each bite of food that you put into your mouth. Experience the taste, texture, flavors and aroma of the food. Do you like it, dislike it, or it’s just okay?  If you aren’t fully satisfied with it, don’t finish it.
  4. Sit down at the table. Eating while standing around the buffet table or while walking around will decrease your attention and satisfaction with your meal. Instead, plan to sit while eating. Fill your plate with food and find a table to sit.  Friends and family will likely join you and you can enjoy nice conversation while being more mindful of your eating.
  5. Listen to your body. It’s important for you to take the time to listen to your body’s inner signals as you are getting satiated.  Stop eating when you feel comfortable, you can always wrap up the rest for another time.  This will help you enjoy the homemade pie without guilt.
  6. Indulge in your favorites. Don’t avoid your favorites that come around once a year. Avoidance can lead to caving in and then to overeating.  It’s much better to eat a small portion of something you really want than to give it up entirely. Choose those foods that you don’t typically have year-round. Take a portion and enjoy without guilt.

If you’re looking for more help to ensure you have a stress-free holiday season, look no further than right here!

December 1st marked the month-long Holiday Special of my Stress Less, Eat Less – Holiday Edition Program. This program is designed to help you develop personalized strategies specific to your situation to help you beat holiday stress eating.

 

In this program, you can go at your own pace. I will walk you through the 3 simple steps to developing a calm mindset and learning the strategies you need that will help you stop stress eating in its tracks.

 

Click the link here to read more about the program and sign up today! You can also reach out to me here if you have any questions.

 

Here’s to a stress-free holiday season!

 

When Diets Rule All Your Life’s Decisions

This week’s Intuitive Eating Wednesday topic is inspired by a client of mine who shared her frustration about some members of her family who are dieting. I will only share the relevant info, as to protect the privacy of her and her family.

 

We are knee deep in December and holiday festivities. My client, let’s call her Jane, has given up dieting 3 months ago when she committed to working with me in my Freedom to Eat Forever™ 5 Step Intuitive Eating Program. She is so happy and so sure she is NEVER going to diet again, and she is enjoying the holiday parties she is attending without fretting about the food that will be served (what a relief for her, can you relate?)

 

So why is she frustrated?

 

Her family holiday party is coming up. She was in charge of hosting this year and she takes pride in planning a fun time for her immediate and extended family, both with delicious food and fun, interactive games. But here’s what happened.

 

She got a call from a family member who basically told her that she would like to host the holiday party this year. Jane asked her why and told her she’s already been planning and prepping. But her relative said that she just really wants to, and to PLEASE let her. Well, Jane felt she had no choice but to say okay. Only later did it occur to Jane why this relative was so insistent.

 

Can you guess? I’ll tell you.

 

This relative, her husband and her adult children are all on a diet. They’ve been losing weight and have been boasting about it all over social media. The diet they are on is quite restrictive, although they’ll tell you it’s a “healthy lifestyle”. Yep, the diet companies have hijacked the words “healthy lifestyle’ and are masking their diet rules under the guise of eating healthfully. And worse yet, the diet company encourages their dieters to pull other people into their web “If I did it, you can too!”.

 

Jane’s family members don’t want to be tempted by food they cannot eat. Yes, I said ‘cannot’ eat because when one is on a diet, they have a list of foods they can and cannot eat. Jane remembers last year’s holiday party when this family was just beginning this diet. They came to the holiday party and were salivating over the food, and were found sneaking bites in the kitchen. They were overheard saying, “it’s okay, we’ll get back on tomorrow’.

 

Oh, so sad, just so sad. Is this how you want to live your life?

 

Do you want your diet to rule your life’s decisions?

 

Decisions such as:

“Do I go with my spouse to his holiday party or not?”

“Should I go with my friends on that cruise?”

“Will I attend that party I was invited to, or make up an excuse why I cannot go?”

“Should I breastfeed my baby? Hmm, I’m drinking these chemically-filled weight loss shakes, so perhaps not.”

 

If you resonate with any of this, it’s time to realize that the diet you are on is RULING YOUR LIFE! You are not living free! You are probably thinking about food 24/7. “What did I eat, what am I eating, what will I eat?”

 

This my friends, is FOOD OBSESSION. Yes, dieting causes food obsession.

 

I’d like to encourage you that you don’t need to rely on any diet. You can trust yourself to make food decisions on your own. I recognize that if you’ve been dieting for a while (and most likely if you are following my work you have been), then you have lost that trust in yourself and your food choices. But with the right support, you can learn to trust yourself again.

 

You know how to eat. You know about proteins, carbs and fats. You know how to balance your plate. I’m not saying there aren’t some things you can learn. I’m sure there are. But you know the basics. You don’t need to be drinking shakes, eating bars or following a diet that doesn’t let you live your life to the fullest.

 

Commit right now to stop the madness. I’ve got your back.

 

Comment below: “I will no longer let a diet rule my life’s decisions”.

 

 

3 Tips to Shut Down Diet and Food Talk at Your Thanksgiving Table

It’s Thanksgiving and I couldn’t be more excited. I just love this holiday where we stop and say thanks and show gratitude for all we have in our lives.

 

I also love cooking all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Since I’m off from work on Thanksgiving, I take my time cooking, with my daughters by my side helping. No pressure, no rushing, just some music, laughter, great conversation and recipe making.

 

We then sit down to an intimate meal with my immediate family and bond. I love it.

 

But for the intuitive eater in training (that might be you if you are in the midst of your journey), the whole thought of sitting down to a Thanksgiving feast might be intimidating. Maybe you still have some food fear and haven’t fully allowed all foods into your life yet. Or, maybe you have made peace with food and feel super comfortable approaching this holiday meal, but the issue you are worrying about is what others might say or think when they see you eating stuffing, sweet potatoes and pecan pie.

 

Let me back up and explain.

 

The Struggle for an Intuitive Eater in Training

 

You have been on your intuitive eating journey for some time. You have made peace with food and your body, and you are ready to approach your very first Thanksgiving as an intuitive eater. You have no qualms about eating what you love. But, what about all those family members who have seen you dieting for most of your adult life?

 

You know the ones. Your sister-in-law, mother, or cousin who have dieted with you in years past and who have joined in with you at the holiday meal saying things like “I shouldn’t eat this but …..”, or “this has SO many calories, and is SO bad for me, but I’m going to eat it anyway”.

 

They are probably still dieting, but you aren’t (lucky you)! But when they see you eating and NOT commenting with them about how guilty you feel or how stuffed you are, you may feel they are judging you.

 

Or, there may be family members who just know you as the ‘dieter’ and have never seen you eat in public. They don’t realize that when you’ve restricted in the past, you’d just go home and eat whatever you can find. So for them, they may say outright to you: “YOU eat that now? I’ve never seen you eat this.”

 

3 tips to shut down the diet and food talk at your Thanksgiving table:

 

  1. Say with confidence: “Yes, I eat all foods. Food is just food”. And, leave it at that.

 

  1. Say with boldness: “Please do not comment on what I am eating. Let’s focus on the beauty of the holiday, not my food.”

 

  1. Say with firmness: “This house is a diet-free talk zone. We don’t discuss diets or shame people for eating. Thank you for respecting this house rule”.

 

The most important person is YOU. Have confidence in yourself and in your food choices that you are making to honor and respect your body. You are in the drivers seat now, you are no longer a passenger on the diet train.

 

If you’d like my support at any point on your journey, just reach out to me HERE.

 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

 

Is the Holiday Stress Already Getting To You?

Does the approaching holiday season stress you out? I have had a few clients come in to my office recently who are already beginning to feel the stress of the holiday season now that it’s November!  One conversation really stuck with me.

 

Sara walked into my office this week all stressed out. I asked her what was wrong, and she started to tell me about how overwhelmed she’s feeling about Thanksgiving, Christmas, all the parties and family visiting. There’s still 3 weeks until Thanksgiving, yet she’s already anticipating and feeling the stress.

 

These are some of her stressors that she started listing:

 

  • Gift shopping. Sara is a mom of four children and in charge of gifts for them for the holidays as well as the rest of her large extended family. This causes her a lot of anxiety about finding the right gift and making sure she’s getting what everyone wants, while still staying on budget.

 

  • Hostess. Her parents come in from out of town during the holidays and tend to stay with her and her family. She said this becomes very stressful because she has to make sure her house is spotless the whole time, cooking meals every night and she feels pressure to constantly entertain them.  This becomes overwhelming and takes away from her own self-care.

 

  • Cooking. Finding a balance between cooking what her family wants and finding meals that nourish her own body has become very stressful. Normally, she likes to choose meals based on whole foods. During the holiday season, her family requests lots of holiday favorites, which she enjoys as well, yet she has trouble balancing the holiday favorites with foods that feel best in her body.

 

  • Cleaning. As the holidays approach and her extended family visits, Sara finds that she is cleaning nonstop.  This chore becomes daunting and stressful, as it’s hard to keep a full house clean all the time.  However, she feels she needs to do it to keep everyone happy and not let anyone know she is overwhelmed.

 

  • Parties. This is where Sara said she has the most stress. Sara is usually the hostess at the family holiday parties and dinners. She feels extra pressure to entertain everyone while still ensuring they are well fed and happy. She really doesn’t have any help, and finds it difficult to ask for assistance from her husband and kids. She feels she ‘should’ be able to do it all.

 

And then of course there is the obligation of attending her workplace holiday party where there’s lots of food and drink available. By this time, she’s physically and emotionally drained and just says “What the heck. I’ll deal with my eating in the New Year!”

 

Woah! No wonder she is already worrying about the holidays.  This is a lot to handle and can be hard for anyone to keep from getting stressed.

 

In working with Sara, I’ve identified that she has the all-or-nothing mindset when it comes to the holidays.  She needs to do everything herself at 100%, or it doesn’t count. She needs to eat perfectly, or she eats “terribly” (her words!).

 

Does any of this resonate with you?

 

Can you relate to Sara?

 

Well, Sara asked me to help her handle the stress better this year and lucky for her, and you, I have exactly what she needs.

 

I invite you to join my 3-week free challenge “Enjoy Your Holiday Festivities (and Sweets) without Guilt” where I’ll give you tips on self-care during the holiday, navigating holiday parties and eating your sweets without guilt.

 

Yes, you CAN eat your holiday sweets and not have any guilt. 

 

You CAN rid yourself of the all-or-nothing thinking when it comes to your food and the holidays.

 

Allow me to show you how.

 

In this challenge, you’ll get step-by-step training and support every step of the way.

 

We start Monday, November 6th!

 

Learn more and join us HERE!

 

I look forward to supporting you through the holidays, so you can enjoy your holiday festivities and sweets, without the guilt!