The holiday season has always been my favorite time of year for several reasons. The week of Thanksgiving until January 2nd, use to give me an excuse to pig out. During this time there is a spirit of giving in the air, and I am a nurse so during the entire Holiday season from Thanksgiving week until Christmas week vendors from everywhere, Medical Supply, Home Health Agencies, Hospice agencies, many places would always bring goodies to our facility. From pounds of See’s Candy to Porto’s bakery, to Panera Baked goods, someone is constantly bringing the nurses delicious, high fat, high calorie, goodies. The second reason is the winter holiday season represent years of tradition, being with my family cooking our favorite holiday dishes and all coming together to potluck and love on each other. We always make so much food, I remember when I was a kid, I asked my grandma why we cooked so much, she said, “because you never know who’s going to stop by and want a plate.” It never fails, someone, or two, sometimes multiple people would stop by, and yup they always wanted a plate. These times and traditions warm my heart and makes me very happy.
So, like many people, the holidays represent family, food and love, and I love to celebrate. Every year I go into the new year 10 pounds heavier due to a tradition of freely eating without restrictions. In 2018 I decided that my health mattered, and I refused to go into the 2019 New Year WITH EXTRA pounds. I was determined to not gain the proverbial 10 pounds, and as a result I actually lost 5 pounds for the New year, and each year after 2018, I have not gained any extra weight going into the new year. Here’s my five principles that I follow yearly to stay healthy through the holidays and avoid weight gain.
1. I challenge myself from November through December 31st to a 30-minute walk, or a 30-minute workout 5-6 days per week, and I track my progress.
2. I eat easily digestible foods like salad, steamed veggies, fruits, soft meats, beans, and nuts.
3. I stick to a calorie restricted diet; my caloric allowance is 1200 – 1500 calories per day. (Download MyFitnessPal to track calories) What’s your allowance?
4. I Drink 100oz or more of water or enhanced water with Crystal light etc… Daily.
5. I Detox, or Cleanse, or Eat Vegan for 7, 10, or 21 days during the season. I just completed a 14-day cleanse for the 2022 holiday season.
I eat what I want as long as it stays within my caloric allowance, if I overeat a favorite (and I do sometimes cause I’m human) I make sure to exercise for 45 minutes instead of 30 minutes. I also lead the season with Prayer because Health is a personal choice that you make every day when you decide on everything from what to eat to whether to exercise to how to handle stress. Sometimes making the best choices demands making healthy changes in your life. It takes prayer to make healthy changes. I decided in 2018 that I would not allow sixty days out of the year to cause me to gain 10 pounds or more. The pain, depression, and feelings of failure are not worth the See’s candy, it’s just not worth it for me.
It took me years to catch on to the damage that I was doing to myself, I honestly thought I was just celebrating my favorite time of year, enjoying all the festivities, but when my body began to hurt, I realized real change had to be made and I made a choice to change it up, and now the five principles guide my life every Holiday season beginning November.
Hope my story helps someone else.
Remember to Strive for Full Restoration…