Welcome back! We’re officially now in the full swing of the holiday season and you know what that means?

Parties!

This is the time of the year when Christmas and holiday parties abound and this year, there are three whole weekends before Christmas, which means more dates for parties. Depending on where you are and the current climate of the pandemic, you might not have as many parties as usual. Still, some companies are having a holiday soiree and you might have friends who have house parties. How do we attend and enjoy these events and not wreck our plan of losing weight for the holidays?

 

 

Now, I find that people fall into two groups when it comes to parties; the extroverts and the introverts.  Depending on which camp you’re part of, the pitfalls can be a little different. So let’s talk about this based on where you are…

 

First, to my extroverted friends: You love all the parties! You love getting all dressed up and finding a host gift, you look forward to going out and seeing all the people, you thrive in the party atmosphere. The music and people and activity give you life! You’re not worn out by all the festivities – you’re energized! Shoot – you’re probably the host of the party!

Your pitfall in the party atmosphere is a lack of focus. You’ll get excited about seeing people and having conversations and you’ll miss that you’re eating the snacks and treats without paying attention. Lack of attention also comes if you’re drinking at the party – alcohol will make sure you’re not worried about how much you eat! Before you know it, you’ve eaten more than you planned, you’re not sure what you ate, and now you don’t want to go near that scale!

What do you do? More than anything, you need a plan. Whether you know exactly what will be served or not, you can prepare so your brain is ready to do what you know is good for your plan before you get there. In your preparation for the event, make a plan for your eating. Will you have a glass of wine? What hors d’oeuvres are your favorite and how many will you have? Do you plan to have a pie of cake or pie? How will you eat during the day before the party so you can be sure you’re hungry when you get to the food table? If you don’t have a plan, you’ll be tempted to eat everything you see. If you drink too much, you won’t care if you do until tomorrow. So make your plan so you don’t have a food hangover the next day and you can stay on track!

 

 

Now to my introverts: you are my people! Your pitfalls can be different because even if you like your friends and music and celebration, you lose energy from all the festivities. All the people and preparation and busyness are draining for you. You might not want to go to the party at all! When you do go, you might not feel comfortable and you might be tempted to eat and snack and drink to give yourself something to do. You’ll eat to take away the humming of anxiety about being out and about when you’d rather be snuggled up in your pjs on the couch with one friend instead of a roomful of people.

All good – you can do this! If you’re going to the party, you also need a plan. You’ll need to decide upfront about whether you’re going to drink because you might have a glass of wine just to have something in your hand, or to take the edge off of your nerves. You’ll fall into mindless eating to keep busy and dull the anxiety about who to talk to next or to ward off your boredom with small talk. Decide in advance what you want to eat and be sure you’re hungry when you do. But you’ll need to include preparation for the people to your plans. Who might be there that you want to talk to? What questions might you ask them to start the conversation? You’ll be tempted to think you’re the only one who feels uncomfortable in the party setting, but you’re not. Look around: The folks sitting down looking intensely at their phones also likely feel like you. They probably don’t have an urgent email or text they need to check right that minute!

 

 

You can get through the holiday parties AND lose weight! Anticipate your pitfalls and make plans to help yourself go into the party with your ultimate success in mind. You’ll come out having enjoyed the party without the food hangover and will keep moving toward your goal. That feels better than any food tastes!

 

I’m open for consultations again! If you want to lock down your space for coaching starting in the New Year, NOW is the time to act. Wouldn’t it be great to know that you have a coach in your corner to help you reach your weight loss goal? I’m here to help you get there! Email me at drandreachristianparks@gmail.com and let’s make sure you have what you need to make your success inevitable!

 

Here’s your video help for the week!