The holidays are here!
And with the holidays, many of us find ourselves indulging much more than we want to.
We all should enjoy life and that is why the 80/20 Rule works so well. 80% of the time, eat what your body wants and is on the healthy side while 20% of the time you can indulge yourself a bit without feeling any of the guilt.
However, there are certain tricks that will help keep you on track to minimize any damage.
The primary trick is to plan ahead.
First, plan to enjoy your event or night out free from guilt. Guilt actually adds stress which then forces your body to produce cortisol which gets stored as fat.
This is exactly what we don’t want to happen!
Plan to enjoy your event and really savor whatever you end up eating or drinking. The less guilt leads to less fat storage, which keeps you from derailing all your hard work.
Plant the seed in your head what you plan on allowing yourself to enjoy and visualize yourself being perfectly satisfied and enjoying yourself. Visualize yourself eating and drinking slowly and really being present and enjoying what you decide.
I know it may sound a little woo-woo, but it really does work and takes no time to set yourself up by directing your subconscious mind to work for you, instead of your more impulsive conscious mind. (We’ll talk about an even easier way to get those messages embedded in your subconscious mind in a moment!)
If you plan on going to a big dinner, I know many of us think it makes sense to starve ourselves prior so we can eat whatever we want later.
You may want to re-think that as it has the complete opposite effect!
The more efficient strategy is to eat more often the day of the party, but with protein as the main source of food. Eating protein will keep your blood sugar stable. Your muscles will store any extra sugars as glycogen instead of fat.
Plus, it will keep your hunger at bay and more satiated leaving you less likely to binge later.
I recommend eating a little protein, maybe 10 to 15 grams of protein (snack-size portions) every few hours throughout the day until the time of your event.
Animal protein works best such as an egg, 2 slices of turkey, 1-2 chicken strips or beef , turkey stick, etc (all organic and nitrate-free please). Couple them with low glycemic veggies (go for the green!), but especially concentrate on eating protein.
You can also enjoy plant proteins such as ¼ cup of nuts or seeds or low carb nut bar or a teaspoon of nut butter.
When it comes to the spirits, it’s sooooo easy to have more than we realize.
So, if you plan on drinking alcohol, the above holds true to keep your blood sugars stable, so eating protein every few hours prior to the event will be so helpful.
In addition, keep in mind that alcohol tends to be very dehydrating. Therefore, for every cocktail you drink, try to consume 8 ounces of water. That’s 8 ounces of water for every alcoholic drink you have, to help your body compensate.
Of course, try to plan this in advance and just do the best you can as it may start to slip your mind after a few cocktails!
Also, it is very helpful to eat protein along with your fine wine or cocktail. Balance your drink with an animal protein such as turkey, chicken, shrimp or beef.
Stay away from the chips and dip as you are just layering more sugars on top of the drink promoting more fat storage.
Finally, if you plan on drinking, as in more than a few, be sure to get yourself some Activated Charcoal capsules and take 8 -10 before going to bed.
I know, may seem like a lot, but each capsule is about ¼ teaspoon. This will help sop up some of the toxins from the alcohol and leave your head a lot clearer the next morning!
However, avoid taking any activated charcoal within an hour of medication, as it will sop that up too.
My final trick to help keep your weight and health goals on track over the holidays is by making specific suggestions to your subconscious mind so that it just feels easier to be in control around the holiday cheer.
Imagine how it would look and feel to enjoy small bites of the holiday goodies and feel satisfied.
Imagine how it would look and feel to prefer to eat more healthy foods that will nourish your body.
Imagine how it would look and feel the mornings after feeling light and free and full of energy.
This can be achieved with hypnotherapy—and it just so happens that I will be hosting a Holidays Food Hypnosis Workshop via Zoom Wednesday, December 14th at 7:00 pm EST.
All you have to do is show up in a private and quiet, comfortable space with your computer or phone.
This hour-long workshop will empower you to make better food choices amidst holiday temptations so you can stay on track with your health and weight goals.
Keep in mind that hypnotherapy has been used for effectively for centuries. For this workshop, I apply the clinical use of hypnosis. It uses an all-natural state called “trance” that you probably enter on your own, each and every day, but you don’t know how to harness and use for the most positive changes in your own life.
Through hypnotherapy, we tap into this natural state to speak directly to the part of your mind responsible for managing your beliefs, values and identity, for generating your emotions, and for running your habits and behaviors.
This is the same part of your mind that automatically works to achieve your goals and desires, and the part of you that dreams. It’s your subconscious mind.
By tapping into the infinite resources of your subconscious mind, you can achieve the results you want in just about an hour.
You even get a recording if you miss the live workshop. But you won’t need the recording if you attend, as this workshop is one-and-done. The hypnosis is “generative” which means that it will continue to get stronger and work better as time goes on.
The best part is that it’s only $37 and I guarantee you will get results. So, you have nothing to lose!
So, if you want to sail through the holidays without that struggle and frustration that you’ve had in the past, I invite you to check it out here.
If you have any questions, simply hit reply and email me back.
Here’s to no longer just surviving the holidays but enjoying them with more peace and ease:).
Xo,
Jill
It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities.”
Live well and love more,
Jill Gordon
CHHC, MHt, MNLP, MSC, CLC
Certified Holistic Health Counselor, Master Certified Clinical Hypnotist*, Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming*, Master Certified Life and Success Coach*
*Board Certified with IBCP (International Board of Coaches and Practitioners)
All material in this newsletter is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this publication. Instead readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information provided has not been approved the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or disease.