Party Planning
Party Planning
By Shane Sauer
When I ask my clients what worries them most at the holidays, many respond, “Weight gain from all of the food!”
This makes sense, right?! We’re around family and friends at holiday gatherings where there are delicious, rich, and special foods. Not to mention, the weather is getting colder and the days shorter so it’s difficult to get in as much activity.
These factors coming together means that you are in rare situations that don’t fit into your normal routine, at the same time that your habits are in flux. In other words, it’s a perfect storm for prolonged overindulgence.
What can you do?
Fortunately, there are a number of things, but none of them will work unless you plan ahead. Here is a three-step process to help:
Identify the situations where you’ve overindulged in the past.
Identify the triggers that promote your overindulgence.
Plan to avoid situations or mitigate the triggers.
The goal is to make your eating/drinking habits conscious so that you will have more control over them. And planning will eliminate your need for willpower.
Let’s explore what this would look like in practice:
Holiday parties are a common place for overindulgence to take place. Triggers at those parties would be easy access to treats and snacks, alcohol to lubricate social interaction, and pressure from friends and family to try a “special dish”.
Can you make a plan for this situation?
One possibility might be to skip the party altogether, but that’s rarely a viable solution. If you are going to the party, it might be a good idea to eat a full meal before to limit your interest in snacks. You can plan to drive to the party so that you won’t drink before driving home.
Or, you can go the other direction and plan to overindulge! You could find balance with that choice by planning a fast before or after the party.
There are no right or wrong answers here. There is also no one size fits all solution. But with a little thought and a little planning, you can find what works best for you.