There’s a joke on the internet that goes, “Every time I try to eat healthy, along comes Thanksgiving, Christmas, Summer, Tuesday or Friday and ruins it for me.” This funny moment is attributed to “anonymous” and rightly so because who among us hasn’t groaned at this truism in our own life?
Hello! I’m coming to you from the frontlines of losing a lot of weight (55 big ones) by my early 40s and maintaining the original loss for almost 20 years now. Currently, I have 61 years of Christmases behind me. Friends have long asked, “How are you maintaining for so long?” This is exactly how I maintain during the holidays.
Let’s start with the best news first: my successful maintenance is not down to motivation. Can you imagine drawing from inspiration over a 20-year period? Never happened. Sure, I was motivated here and there, but I went a different route and embraced all that we now know about building smart habits. Along with good habits, I realized that the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy (I’m a formerly trained therapist) can be life changing. On my blog and on Sixty and Me I write about the tools I used for ultimate success.
Exactly What I Do
For the last 20 years, I’ve seen the strength behind these strategies. Take a look:
Planning Ahead for December
On a quiet moment in December, I sit down with my calendar and write an overall plan about where obstacles will likely immerge in the month and how I would snuff each one out. For example, I might note that I have a book club meeting mid-month and grandkids visiting over Christmas. I also pay close attention to the before, during and after of each holiday (leftovers are a sneaky bunch).
Smart Daily Planning
Along with an overall December plan, every morning I also create a unique daily plan that highlights the obstacles on that particular day, i.e., I might write that “Marcia always brings donuts to the meeting every Thursday morning without fail.” I then write a solution for every challenge.
Talk to Yourself with Kindness
I shore up my internal self-talk. For example, I don’t call myself “fat and ugly” (like a friend once did). Beating our own self up while going for the gold is just not a thing. I now tell myself, “You’ll figure this out, you always do” and “when you care about something you’re awesome.”
Create the habit of talking to yourself with wisdom and great kindness. Positive self-talk is nothing short of a superpower. Become your own internal support coach and see for yourself.
Ruin Meals
I lean heavily on the tool Eat before You Eat. I’ll eat anything to avoid showing up at the table “famished.” I eat a hardboiled egg on toast, a carton of yogurt, an apple or a banana topped in peanut butter. Yes, I “ruin meals,” Dad, every single day (sorry!).
Envision Small Bites
I was once on a cruise ship and marveled at the small – but elegant – bites they displayed for the guests to scoop up. It was a startling moment to realize that two or three delicious bites can be very filling. So, when I’m hankering to eat more and more of whatever’s in front of me, I instantly flash on those beautiful bites and the memory stops me cold from overeating. You’ll need to discover your own feel-great-about-eating-less memory.
Choose Low Calory Drinks
If I’m in the mood for an adult drink I reach for a glass of champagne (low calories). Also a fun drink for the season: splash rum into a mug of “egg nogg” (any nut milk like almond milk will do).
Gaining weight after age 50 is not the “inevitable” slide to Aunt Bea-ville. This December don’t let the calories “just happen” to you, meet the holidays head-on with a solid strategy and watch how excited January-one-you will be.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
What do you think of planning your eating-month? Do you know how you talk to yourself? Can you think of a time when you were super kind to you? What was the outcome?