Post-Thanksgiving Wrap-up and The Three M's

Raise your hand if you indulged for Thanksgiving? *raises hand shamelessly*
Now, raise your hand if you overindulged and ended up feeling like a stuffed turkey yourself? *sound of crickets*

Guys: this is a judgement-free zone (hope Planet Fitness hasn't copyrighted that yet). If you fell into a tryptophan coma on Thursday evening, no worries cuz we've all been this guy:

Source

While we've all experienced that full-to-the-brim, I'm-so-full-it-even-hurts-to-laugh-feeling, and truth be told we probably will again. But, I think many (if not all) of us can agree that it's not a pleasant. I'm sure we all wish there was some "magic antidote" to holiday overeating, but unfortunately, none such thing exists. Staying on track--and sane--during the holidays takes practice and it takes a plan. While I say different strokes for different folks when it comes to these types of things, I'll share with you what worked for me:

1) Mindful Eating: I didn't plan out every morsel that would cross my lips (hello, ticket to crazytown!), but I did think ahead and tackled The Big Meal with a plan. I ate mindfully for my other meals throughout the day, prior to, and post-Thanksgiving meal so I could really relish it. I also made a point of enjoying--without guilt--the foods that I LOVE. And this does include brussel sprouts! I avoided the foods I like, but don't LOVE, which helped me to avoid any chance of getting overly stuffed.

2) Maintenance: I stayed active all week, even though I was "on vacation." I did yoga, and hit the gym three days in a row, including Thanksgiving. And the satisfaction of putting my brother through a grueling metabolic conditioning workout on Friday felt better than eating any number of leftovers would have felt :-)

3) Mindset: I didn't freak out when I ate too many hors d'oeuvres. I managed my stress effectively, and spent time that I could have spent stressing about food doing things that served me, like bonding with family; reading; sleeping in; talking and playing board games for hours with family; and just genuinely relaxing.

And would you believe it?! I came home feeling energized and--mark my words--a little leaner than before! For me, this experience just solidified how important mindset is in the fat loss game: because I felt less stress, I had a greater ability to keep the fat-burning furnace going even though some unexpected treats are being thrown in the nutritional mix.

From my point of view, is that the key to getting through the holidays is keeping the lid on stress. Easier said than done, I know, but I managed somehow! And you can, too! The bottom line: enjoy yourself; don't obsess; and set yourself up for success with the Three M's (Mindful Eating, Maintenance, and Mindset).

Happy Holidays, everyone!