Christmas can be a time of joy and celebration, but it can also be incredibly stressful for a lot of people. Here are my top tips for surviving the silly season whilst staying aligned with your goals and values.
 
1 Dealing with other people’s comments concerning weight gain
This sort of comment normally comes from Great Aunt Hilda who was born with no filter, or empathy and probably has a history of undiagnosed eating disorders.
 
You have two options here, either ignore and seethe quietly or say something.  Try “Thank you for pointing that out, I appreciate your concern but my body changing isn’t any of your business. I am on my own journey to make positive changes to my health”.
 
If she still insists on sharing her opinion, then eat her.  I’ve heard she’s quite tasty slow-cooked with basil and thyme 😜
 
2 Dealing with feeders  
You know the type and they mostly mean well.   My Mum is one of them “Here have some more, go on I know you want some”.  You respond with “That is delicious but I’m very full and don’t think I’d appreciate it if I had anything else”.
 
3 Sticking to a routine
Part of the fun of the festive season is that topsy-turvy time between Christmas and New Year when no one knows what day of the week it is, however, if you are like me and you crave stability then it’s quite challenging.
 
When possible, try and do what you would normally do. I love my post-Christmas gym sessions as it gets me out of the house and into some sense of normal again.
 
4 Be Realistic
Some days you’ll lay around in your PJs eating Quality Street – and that is fine.  Just pick the indulgences that you will enjoy rather than mindless snacking.
 
5 Don’t diet!
Christmas can be a tricky time of year for many.  Eating in a calorie deficit and trying to lose weight is just going to add to the stress when you are probably more likely to emotionally eat anyway.
 
I encourage all my clients who have a goal of fat loss to focus on mindful eating rather than calorie counting. Trust me, you’ll thank me for it later!
 
Would you like some person-centred compassionate coaching, that will get you into great shape physically and mentally in 2024? 
 
Elevate my next online group coaching programme starts on the 8 January and is currently £100 for six weeks (usual price £150) join me and other like-minded women on resetting in the new year or if you would like to work on a one-on-one basis with me then I have some rare availability for early morning sessions starting in January, book a discovery call.