Your Holiday Weight Loss Guide

With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s not uncommon for dieters to slowly fall off their plan. Many people believe Thanksgiving is the beginning of the end to their weight loss journey, but Halloween is actually when the initial fallout begins. We’ve been conditioned as a society to think it is perfectly okay to cheat on our diet around the holidays. We come up with excuses like, “I deserve this” or “I’ve been good all year” or “one cheat day won’t hurt.” Subconsciously, we know these are just excuses. If you want to succeed in your weight loss journey, you need to make the right choices this holiday season. Your friends at Garcia Weight Loss are here to help! Follow this Holiday Weight Loss Guide to put a stop to seasonal weight gain and repetitive New Year’s resolutions.

Don’t Get Tricked by Halloween

Halloween is a sneaky holiday. It comes just before the traditional holiday season, where food and family are the central themes. While Halloween is not one of those holidays that have us gathered around the dinner table, reaching for seconds and thirds, it does offer plenty of temptation in its own right.

How many times have you snuck a piece of candy from your child’s trick-or-treating bag? How often have you overindulged in spooky-themed snacks or fall-flavored beverages? The answer is probably more than once. While Halloween 2020 will be a unique experience, tricky temptations are sure to linger. Be mindful of these opportunities to cheat on your diet and choose to persevere! Once you survive Halloween, you’ll only have three more major holidays to stay strong through.

Be Thankful for Your Progress

Thanksgiving is undoubtedly one of the hardest holidays for those on a diet. Honey-baked ham, oversized turkey, sweet potato casserole, and then all of those sweet, delectable pies … it’s no wonder we gain an average of one pound during the holiday season! But there’s no need to fret. We know you have the strength to survive the Thanksgiving feast without giving up on your goals.

Rather than feel peer pressured into trying “just one bite” of Aunt Susie’s freshly-made dish, take a moment to be thankful for all of your progress so far this year. Think about your starting point. Think about your goals. Think about how much faster you will get there if you skip on the extra-large plate of food before you.

There are just as many healthy, Garcia-friendly Thanksgiving dishes as there are unhealthy ones. You have the choice over what you eat and how much! Try to practice mindful eating where you chew slowly, enjoying every bite rather than scarfing everything down as fast as you can. Mindful eating also allows you to check-in with your body to determine if you are still hungry before reaching for another spoonful.

Have Merry Celebrations

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or just enjoy time with close friends and family, there is no shortage of festivities during the holiday season. Like Thanksgiving, this time of year is filled with lots of delicious temptations, especially if you partake in a (safe and socially-distanced) holiday potluck.

It’s important to plan ahead for any holiday. Rather than show up at dinner hungry and full of holiday cravings, plan on eating a healthy On-The-Go Snack Bar before mealtime to prevent overindulging.

Renew Your Resolutions

If you make it through the holidays without sacrificing your diet plan, you are on your way to a healthier, thinner, more confident you. When it comes time to renew your New Year’s resolution, you won’t have to kick yourself and hope to lose the holiday weight because you already kept it off! Instead, keep the success going and plan on meeting your weight loss goals in the new year.

Helpful Holiday Blogs:

10 Tips for Losing Weight Before Christmas

15 Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

12 Stress Relief Tips for a Happy Holiday Season

7 Foods That Will Help You Lose Weight Over the Holidays

Healthy Halloween Snacks

7 Tips for a Healthy Halloween

Healthy Alternatives to Halloween Candy