Christmas overindulgence is already getting me down – I might as well give up trying to diet. Again!
Actually, we agree with you – you absolutely should give up trying to diet. Once and for all!
Dieting does not work.
Dieting has never worked.
If dieting truly worked, it wouldn’t be such a lucrative market. Globally, the diet industry is worth $71 billion. Yet research indicates that 95 per cent of diets fail.
So, make this the last time you ever let the word ‘diet’ cross your lips.
Instead, we need to get down to the nitty-gritty of why you need to change what you eat, and the role food plays in your life.
There’s a big difference between some Christmas overindulgence and using Christmas as an excuse to continue to eat poorly. Chances are, if you need to lose two stone a week before Christmas, then you have been trying to lose two stone for the last several months. Unfortunately, Christmas is this ‘end of year’ goal, which gives us focus but too often leaves us disheartened.
New Year, New You!
Equally, with the New Year looming, it gives us the perfect excuse to put changes off again. So, we wait till January 1st, then we give it another couple of days as the weekend is already upon us, then it’s back to Monday again, and before you know it, you get to the end of January, and you have made no changes, once again.
Take the pressure off yourself.
When you are constantly ‘trying’ to diet, you are constantly setting yourself up for failure. Every time you fail, it is more and more difficult to pick yourself up and start again.
The trouble is that we are always searching for that quick fix. We want to lose that two stone NOW, without putting in too much effort and cutting out those things which give us comfort or pleasure. We start with good intentions. We know what needs to be done but fall at the first hurdle every single time.
You are not going to achieve miracles in the short time running up to Christmas, but we have highlighted ‘exercises’ below that we want you to think about in preparation for making some gradual, sustainable changes after the holidays.
Don’t worry – these exercises don’t include Lycra – rather, they are designed to encourage you to start thinking in a different way so that you can make some fundamental changes that will lead to better long-term success when it comes to losing that weight.
1. Before you eat that mince pie/burger/doughnut, think carefully about how it makes you feel.
How do you feel as you pick it up? What is it that has caused you to pick it up with the intention of putting it in your mouth? How are you feeling? What are you thinking? How do you know you will feel if you continue and eat that particular item? How will you feel physically? What will your thoughts about yourself be?
2. Take a pen and paper.
Take a pen and paper, and over the next couple of weeks, write down 50 things about yourself that you think is amazing. Don’t skip any; we want a list of 50 by the time the new year comes around. This is often one of the most difficult – most people can get to ten or 15, and then it starts to fizzle out. Feel free to go back in years as far as you like. If you’re struggling, ask your family and friends – I bet they could come up with a dozen positive things straight away.
3. Take another piece of paper…
And start to write down what the benefits are of staying exactly where you are in terms of weight. What do you gain from it? What are the positive emotional and physical advantages? You’d be surprised how many there are. A big one is a comfort!
Juxtapose these with the harm you know you are doing yourself.
Finally, write a short paragraph about how you will feel when you start to see the weight coming off – are you feeling better about yourself? Be as emotional and descriptive as you can be – you’re going to be referring back to this in the coming weeks and months as a reminder when the going gets tough. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for support in this journey. Here at Be You, we have a wealth of knowledge in the emotional, physical, and nutritional knowledge needed to help you on your journey. Contact us for a consultation if you would like support in the New Year.
