Holiday Tips: Surround Yourself with Support

A few days ago, we discussed starting your holiday healthy eating strategy with your why. While we’re talking about why’s, why are you really at this treat-tempting party? Is it the food? I hope not! You’re there to celebrate a holiday or event with your family and friends. Focus on that, and not the fact that there’s food around you. We tend to get so caught up on the silly snack table that we lose sight of why we are even celebrating in the first place.

Since you’re there with your family and friends, you should have a support system surrounding you. Don’t have the healthiest of comrades? Make sure you have at least one that really knows why you are committing to a healthy lifestyle change. That person will help keep you on track, steer you from the desserts, and distract you when necessary. 

For the not-so-supportive members of the group, don’t be afraid to say “no”. You wouldn’t push yourself with one-more-too-many drinks, right? (The correct answer is no) It’s a nice thought to say no, but we’re really bad at doing that! Practice makes perfect. Use that supportive friend of family member to tempt you occasionally before the party, even if they have to slap you on the hand once or twice when you give in too easily.

Don’t let the people around you push you around. This is your body, your life, and you know what’s good for it. Not them. If you have already been on a healthy lifestyle journey, the same goes for comments like “you looked better before you lost weight” and “are you sick”. These comments are pushy and rude, as sometimes family can be. Don’t let it get to  you, and don’t let it push you into something that you wouldn’t have eaten before it was said.