You might have been through that feeling of extreme guilt after the holidays. People have come across that thought of the difficulty in losing all that carbs they took. They’d feel like they overate during the holidays. This stops them from looking at the weighing scale cause it’d only frustrate them.
When you see all the food arranged on the table, it’s so hard to resist the urge not to taste each of them. One study found that a typical Christmas banquet is said to have 7,000 calories. Imagine how many calories you can take from all that holiday food. Not to mention all the food you’ve eaten on Thanksgiving and the ones you’re going to eat on New Year’s Day.
Because of this, you might think that you’re overeating during the holidays. But you have to give yourself a break. Here are five tips to properly condition your mind if you feel bad about overeating on the holidays:
1. Stop Feeling Guilty
While you might have consumed a lot during the holidays, keep in mind that it only happens once a year. It’s not like you’re going to have that opportunity every day or even every week to eat that much.
You should stop beating yourself up for tweaking your diet a little during the holidays. It’s something that you can lose easily if you put your mind to it. Feeling the guilt won’t help you. It’s better if you transform that guilt into something productive. Work hard to lose that holiday weight that bothers you. This takes us to the following point.
2. Start Eating Healthy
Eating healthy doesn’t mean that you have to eat less. You might have to shave off some calories from your diet, but you should not overdo it. Doing it drastically might cause you to lower your metabolism. What you can do is do it gradually. Start computing the calories that you need every day. Slash only a few calories in your diet. Do it little by little until you’ve reached your calorie deficit goal. Add high-protein food and enough carbohydrates to keep you energized. This way, you’ll be able to use that energy when you work out.
3. Get Back in Shape
Speaking of working out, you can always get back in shape after gaining some holiday weight. This is why you don’t have to feel bad about yourself. Instead, put on the work and effort to make yourself feel positive. Use your gym membership and go back into burning calories. Hire a fitness coach to guide you with your workouts better.
Expect a little more intense routine since you will work hard to lose those holiday gains. But remember not to overdo yourself. You might end up spraining an ankle and taking a few months off to recuperate. In case of injuries, you should visit an urgent care facility. It can help your coach adjust the intensity of your workout if needed. Be patient, and the results will become visible as long as you’re consistent.
4. Feel Good about Your Progress
One way to feel good when working out is seeing your progress. Being able to experience your transformation is a rewarding feeling. Just make sure to understand that getting back in shape is a process.
It will take a little longer before you can see the results. Keeping track of your progress can help you appreciate all the work you’ve put in to make yourself feel better. Make this progress a constant reminder that whatever you’re doing is working. This will keep you going while losing the holiday weight.
5. Compliment yourself
People can encourage you to work on yourself. However, those encouragements will go to waste if you don’t appreciate yourself. Give yourself some compliments whenever you’re in front of the mirror. Encourage yourself if you’re doubting. A simple mantra every morning to motivate you should do the job.
You should be the one to contribute the most to your self-improvement. Uplift your spirit by giving compliments to yourself. This will keep you focused on your goal. Succeed in achieving self-contentment by cheering yourself up.
You might have loosened up a bit during the holidays, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t take care of yourself. It’s a celebration, and you deserve to be having fun. As previously mentioned, the holidays only happen once a year.
You have at least three-quarters of the new year to lose those holiday gains you’re worrying about. These celebrations are just little tokens for the hard work you did throughout the year. That should make you feel less guilty for having fun during the holiday celebrations.
