Christmas Is Not A Diet Killer And January 1 Is Not A Magical Diet Fixer
Website design By BotEap.comIt is the season of sweets, heavy meals and excesses. Obviously my patients want me to fatten up for something special because this is a pretty close representation of what my reception area looks like:
Website design By BotEap.comIt’s that time of year where even the guys with the strictest eating habits break down and eat a cookie or 3. I even helped myself to a nice cheat meal last week. I headed out with my fiance to the Royal Palm Beach Commons Park for one of their monthly food truck invasions.
Website design By BotEap.comHe had served me a large portion of barbecued brisket (fat and all) and was feeling quite satisfied. My fiance and her friend decided to split a nice dessert from the French Crepe food truck. A ridiculous concoction of Nutella and marshmallow that looked and smelled like Type II diabetes.
Website design By BotEap.comThe fun thing about eating right most of the time is that you’ll feel like crap when you load your body up with sugar. Sure enough, she started feeling pretty bad in about 10 minutes. That’s when she said this little gem:
Website design By BotEap.comWebsite design By BotEap.comOf course, being the loving, caring, and sometimes sarcastic partner that I am, I challenged her and replied:
“I can’t wait for the New Year to arrive so I can eat better again”
Website design By BotEap.comWebsite design By BotEap.comProbably not the best focus I’ve ever had, but it gave me something great to write about this week. Website design By BotEap.comGo crazy on Christmas, it’s just one day Website design By BotEap.comPeople often worry that their diet will be derailed by the holidays. There have been many bloggers who have broached the topic of creating healthy and paleo-friendly meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Website design By BotEap.comNow, if you are someone with a condition that depends on your diet (celiac, diabetic, autoimmune), then of course you need to find alternatives. However, if you are otherwise healthy and are only dieting for weight or health reasons, then I say eat whatever you want. Here’s the thing about Christmas and Thanksgiving that no one talks about. Website design By BotEap.comIt’s just ONE day. Website design By BotEap.comChanging your diet for one day won’t kill your eating habits if you don’t let it. In fact, I find that it reinforces your good eating habits when you do it right. Because? Because when you feel like crap after gorging yourself on cookies, soda, alcohol, and candy for a day, you’ll probably feel pretty bad halfway through, and certainly for most of the next day. Website design By BotEap.comWhen you do things right, your body tells you when you’re doing them wrong. The problem is, this plan doesn’t work if you decide to let the entire holiday season derail your plans.
“Is there something magical about the New Year? Why wait until then?”
Website design By BotEap.comWebsite design By BotEap.comThanksgiving puts people in the festive eating mindset. While Thanksgiving is partly responsible, it’s the days after that that get out of hand. It’s leftover pecan pie. It’s the work holiday party for your office, and then the work holiday party for your spouse. When people start repeatedly making poor food choices, maintaining healthy habits becomes psychologically daunting. You say:
One day may not derail you from your goals, but that 35-day window between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day can physically and psychologically sabotage you.
Website design By BotEap.com Well I’ve been eating like shit in the last few days, I guess one more won’t hurtWebsite design By BotEap.com“I’ll be back on track in the New Year” Website design By BotEap.comWhat’s so magical about January that says you have to wait until then to start making things right again? Website design By BotEap.comNothing. There is nothing special about January 2nd. The planets are not aligned to make you weightless. The moon is not going to change your hormonal production. It’s just another lap around the sun Website design By BotEap.comSometimes we have to change the way we think about our habits and routines to create meaningful change in our health. That includes changing the idea that the New Year is when you’re supposed to be healthy. Here are some tips:
- Party at Christmas, fast the next day– It may not be a true fast, but think about reducing your calorie intake immediately after Christmas. Caloric restriction and fasting have been shown to have rapid changes in endocrine function and metabolism. If you’re feeling up to it, there’s promising research supporting fasting for 15 to 24 hours and the effect it has on growth hormone, Alzheimer’s disease, longevity, cancer prevention, and immunity. Website design By BotEap.com
- say no to leftovers – Holiday meals are generally designed to have lots of leftovers. Everyone leaves with baggies full of pecan pie and roast beef. It can be a very liberating feeling to say no to these leftovers. When it’s not in your fridge, you have almost a 100% chance of not eating it the next day. Yes, there are hungry children all over the world who would love to eat their leftover pumpkin pie. Putting it through their digestive system does nothing for them, but it does sabotage their metabolic health. Pass on the leftovers, donate some money to Feeding America, and get a better night’s sleep. Website design By BotEap.com
- Do a challenge with friends – Don’t wait until the New Year to start a challenge. Ask a few friends, family, or co-workers to do a healthy eating challenge. There is no shortage of effective programs, so find one that suits your needs. Most of the time, it’s not the program that makes you lose weight, it’s the dedication to a prescribed eating plan that delivers the results. If you’re motivated, great, do it on your own, but there really is nothing like having a team go into the trenches with you and hold you accountable.