11:17:43 Hey friends! Welcome back to the Concierge Weight Loss Podcast. I'm Cara, and today we're talking about one of the hardest seasons.
11:17:51 For weight loss, the holidays. If you've ever thought, I'll just wait until January, this episode is for you, because the truth is.
11:17:59 Most people gain weight between October and December. The parties, the family gatherings, the cookies, the stress.
11:18:07 It all adds up. And here's the good news. You don't have to wait until January. You don't have to give up your favorite holiday foods, either.
11:18:15 And you definitely don't have to feel guilty or out of control this year.
11:18:20 So, today I'm going to give you a simple holiday game plan for weight loss.
11:18:25 And it actually works. One that will help you enjoy the season, and.
11:18:30 Make progress in weight loss. Let's start by looking at why the holidays feel so hard.
11:18:36 First, there are constant opportunities to eat. Candy bowls at work, holiday parties, family traditions, food is everywhere.
11:18:44 Second, emotions run high. Maybe it's stress from travel, or family drama, or.
11:18:51 Just the pressure of trying to do it all. And what do we reach for when we're stressed?
11:18:56 Food. Third, our brain tells us it's the holidays, I'll just enjoy now, and I'm gonna start in January.
11:19:04 But here's the problem. That one month of letting go can easily become 3 months.
11:19:10 And suddenly, you're starting the new year feeling… behind. Behind in your booty, and behind in your weight loss. So, what's the solution? It's not about being perfect or skipping the pumpkin pie, because Lord knows I'm not skipping my pumpkin pie.
11:19:26 It's about having a plan that keeps you consistent through the season.
11:19:31 The first step in your holiday game plan is going to be to pick.
11:19:35 Some baseline habits. Your baseline habits are things you can commit to no matter what, even during the busiest.
11:19:43 And the hardest weeks. Not your best days, your worst days.
11:19:49 That's what I want you to think about. Here are a few examples.
11:19:53 Writing a daily plan. If you can't commit to a daily plan, commit to a weekly plan. Gotta make a grocery list, right?
11:19:59 Drinking water. Eating… eating to enough?
11:20:05 Not just stuffed. Um, getting a minimum amount of sleep.
11:20:12 These are the habits that keep you grounded. You don't have to do everything perfectly, and if you notice, these are not diet.
11:20:21 Type rules. But these small actions, they keep you from spiraling out of control. So what I want you to ask yourself.
11:20:29 What 2 or 3 habits can I commit to, even during the holidays?
11:20:34 The second step, it's to allow. Not to restrict.
11:20:40 Here's what I mean. When you tell yourself, I can't have a certain.
11:20:43 Food, especially a holiday food that we look forward to. What happens? You want it even more. You're gonna obsess over it, and when you finally give in, because we know you will.
11:20:55 I do every time, too. You're gonna overeat it, and everything else.
11:21:00 So, instead, I want you to plan for it. If your mom makes her famous stuffing, or you love Christmas cookies.
11:21:07 Put them on your plan. Enjoy them! And I'm giving you permission. I am telling you, do it guilt-free.
11:21:15 When you allow, instead of restrict. You are in control. You decide, instead of the food, deciding for you.
11:21:25 That's how I want you to enjoy the holidays, without feeling deprived, and without overeating.
11:21:31 So step 3 is to handle the emotions. The holidays aren't just about food. They are about stress and family dynamics, and loneliness, and sometimes for us, it's even about grief.
11:21:43 Those emotions are often what are driving the overeating. So, here's your tool.
11:21:49 When you notice the urge to eat, and you're not hungry.
11:21:54 Pause and ask yourself, what am I feeling right now? We kind of talked about this last week.
11:21:59 In that podcast. If it's stress, maybe you need a walk. If it's loneliness, maybe you need to call a friend. If it's overwhelm.
11:22:08 5 minutes of quiet. Doesn't that sound nice? Food doesn't fix emotions, but when you learn to notice and handle them.
11:22:15 You don't need food to cope. So, let's put your holiday game plan together. Number one, pick your baseline habits.
11:22:23 The things you can for sure do, even on your worst day.
11:22:27 Number two, allow. Your favorites. Allow the food, don't restrict it.
11:22:33 And number three, handle the emotions. When you do these three things, you can enjoy the holidays.
11:22:40 Eat the foods you love, and still make progress. And here's the best part. You don't have to do this alone.
11:22:45 That's why I created the Sustainable Success Program. It's a 12-week.
11:22:51 Group coaching program. Running through December. Exactly during the holidays. That was not a coincidence.
11:22:58 Inside, we'll build your baseline habits together, create simple daily plans, and work on managing emotional eating.
11:23:07 You'll have coaching, accountability, and support, so you can enjoy the season and finish the year ahead.
11:23:14 Not starting over. I get told often, it's the holidays, I cannot possibly do this then.
11:23:21 What better time to learn how to do it during a holiday season? Because those are happening every year.
11:23:27 Then during a holiday season. Let's figure it out during the holiday season, so we're then not next year trying to figure it out.
11:23:34 What we already learned for a holiday season. Let's figure it out through the holidays. You're gonna have lots of opportunity to figure this out.
11:23:42 You can get all those details, and you can join that kickoff program, that first round, at CoachingCara.com forward slash success.
11:23:50 Friends, do not wait until January. Your holiday game plan, it can start right.
11:23:57 Now! And I can't wait to help you put it into action.
