Holiday Survival Tips Part II
So, the Thanksgiving Holiday has passed and now we are heading into the work parties, family and friend Christmas socials, New Year's parties . . . and, on top of all that . . . all the Holiday "goodies" that people LOVE to make during the month of December and they LOVE to share! Hence, the dreaded discomfort of explaining why you're not eating "this" or eating "that", over and over and over again at every social event! Ugh, who wouldn't get stressed about this and just "give in" to the pressure of eating what everyone else is eating JUST to feel part of the "norm".
Well, here are some more tips that hopefully will help you feel a bit more "comfortable in your healthy skin" . . . .
1. Understand what "food pushers" want.
Simply put, a food pusher is someone who pushes food (or drink for that matter) onto you when you have repeatedly declined. Chances are, you will find at least one of these people at each of your social gatherings. Ironically, the real reason behind a food pusher's actions does not involve the food itself. Sometimes, food pushers want assurance that you like and appreciate them. It may sound something like this: “What, you don’t even eat Christmas pudding now? But I made it just for you! You don’t like my cooking?” Really, they just want emotional reassurance that you care. Fortunately, you can address their actual concerns just as well without eating (maybe by spending quality time with them during your visits, or just by letting them know you love them), and head off a battle before it starts.
Other food pushers just want to feel better about themselves! They are jealous of how you look or how disciplined you are to decline the "goodies". They want you to stoop down to their level.
The "food pushers" cannot be avoided this Holiday season. It's getting to the "root" of WHY they keep pushing you to have that cookie and taking a different approach to satisfy them without crashing your healthy Holiday eating plan.
2. "No, thank you!" - The strongest weapon in your vocabulary around the Holidays.
You are an adult. You decide what you do and do not eat. You don’t need to justify anything. It doesn’t matter why. All that matters is that you’re an adult, and you choose to eat some things and not others, full stop.
Food pushers don’t care about your health; they just want to satisfy their own emotional needs by getting you to eat something. It has nothing to do with whether the food is healthy or not. When you try to argue with a food pusher on nutritional grounds, it’s like trying to explain to an avalanche why it shouldn’t hit you: you might as well save your breath. Don’t ruin your own evening by getting caught up in the argument.
3. Take the focus off yourself.
Bring up a new topic after saying, "no, thank you", that deflects attention from food.
4. Deflect the Urge.
Another way to handle people pushing food on you is to use the magic word: “later.” Claim that you’re completely stuffed, but you’d love to take home some leftovers. Then when you get home, you can just throw away whatever they sent you home with, avoiding a conflict while keeping your diet intact. This might seem dishonest, but you can decide to use this "little white lie" to make them feel better and keep you on track with your healthy eating.
There you go . . . 4 more tips to keep your Holidays a little healthier. Remember, it's not about being PERFECT. God forbid I don't eat my Holiday cheesecake . . . Just remember to be mindful of every morsel you put into your mouth and ask yourself, "Is THIS particular food worth it to me?"
Your Coach,
Heather
www.paleoleap.com - for content and more tips.
