Guilt Free Mindfulness – Making It Through The Holidays

Ah, the holidays … 2020 edition.

I’m going to bet that “dieting” isn’t even a thing in the year 2020. What a year!

The holidays are difficult enough during a normal year, but now we’re in the midst of a global pandemic. Haven’t we all had moments of eating and snacking as a way to cope with the chaos 2020 has brought so far? No judgement here.

True story; I went to Whole Foods and snagged one of those big pieces of carrot cake on the day I was let go. I regret nothing. And those are big pieces of cake!

While 2020 has been one of the toughest years we’ve all had to endure together, we can still end it on a high note. Better yet, it can put us in a positive frame of mind for the upcoming year.

For the record, I try to never ever feel guilty over the holidays. Now, my husband’s family is Jewish, and my family is Catholic/Christian (neither family is incredibly religious), so I eat A LOT during the holidays.

Honestly, who is going to turn down latkes with a little apple sauce and sour cream? Not I!
If you put shortbread anywhere within smelling distance of me, I will eat it. End of story.
Eggnog lattes? Don’t even try to stop me.
Turkey, stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes and wine? Good for the soul.

I have gone through spells where I cut myself off, and through spells where I don’t stress about it. Let me share with you what happens when I stress about it and diet, and when I don’t.

Dieting Through The Holidays – Lose, Lose

Y’all. Dieting through the most scrumptious season of the year is hard. I have done it, and I have failed every time. When I cut myself off from foods, and I happen to cave and eat it, my mind goes “welp, that was a fail; please try again next year” and I go all out. I will eat anything and everything because I screwed up that one time.

Sounds ridiculous, right?

Right. When we deny ourselves something, especially when they’re related to the holidays so only come out this time of year, we are miserable. I mean, any time the word diet is in play, we are more miserable than not. So, I’ll try to diet and be really good about what I’m eating, even on the holidays themselves. We think that because it is for a short period of time, that it’ll be easier. It’s not. Do you know why?

Because you know it is only temporary, so your mind starts playing with you.

Going All Out For The Holidays – Win, Lose

The other side of the spectrum is to go all out. You say to yourself that it’s only 4-6 weeks out of the year and that what happens now won’t set you back all that much. I’ve done this too. And let me tell you, that while it can feel good for the soul, it is not good for your health.

When not worrying at all about what you’re eating and/or drinking, you don’t realize what exactly you are putting in your mouth, nor how often. How much we snack when we just go in with an “I don’t care” mindset, is CRAZY!

Treat Yo Self Mindfully – Win, Win

After years of trying to figure out how to make the holidays work for me, I have found that this works for me. When mid-November hits, I practice mindfulness. So I go into the holiday season with the 80/20 rule. Sometimes 70/30; depends if we have any unexpected holiday party appearances to make 😉

With this, I tend to be more routine during the weekdays: water intake is high, meals are pre-planned, and fitness is still top of mind. Then on the weekends, I relax the rules. I do always try to get in one long run (10k or more) but without worrying about pace. I just use the run to make sure that I’m getting out of the house because those holiday party hangovers can suck!

Last year I did this without even thinking (meaning for me, it’s the winning method) and at the end of December, I could still fit into all my pants! I try not to use the scale because I have pretty big weight fluctuations on normal days, let alone the holiday season.

Eggnog latte, with whipped cream & some baileys.

A Christmas morning tradition. It’s not Christmas if this drink doesn’t happen.

How do I apply this to my own life?

So you’re thinking, that’s great Ash. You’ve figured out what works for you, but how do I get to that point? It’s not going to be easy, but it is going to be worth it.

If you’re used to indulging without a care in the World, you may feel like you’re depriving yourself, but it’s nothing like if you were dieting. If it helps, you can track what you’re eating, but without it sending you into a tizzy. I would write down everything I ate, without putting it in MyFitnessPal (because that kind of negativity isn’t good for me), so that I could see where & when the snacking was happening. Once I figured that out, I decided to apply the 80/20 rule. I am pretty good about adhering to this throughout the year unless we’re on holiday. Yep Mexico, I’m looking at you. Darn those poolside beverages!

I could see that the majority of my snacking was happening on the weekends. We’d always get treats into the office, but that wasn’t a huge thing for me. Since we always made sure to keep up with our meal planning during the workweek, I was pretty full throughout the workday. I am the resident baker in our household, so I would try to keep the treats to a minimum. Especially since getting the recipe binder which is full of recipes I’ve wanted foreverrrrrrrrr. Pro tip – use your nieces & nephews to help you make stuff and then send most of it home with them. Their parents will get mad, but whaddya gonna do; the treats are already in their hands 😉

Tips for staying active

I take the dog for at least one good walk per day, which also means running around the park with her. Getting out twice is fantastic!
Reduce my running from 5 days a week (not a problem this year!) to only get out 2-3 times per week. I always make sure one of those runs is on the weekend.
- When running, I try to keep to between 5km – 13km at a time. And I always try and make at least one run club session per week – helps me with my motivation.
- I do not worry about pace in any way shape or form. I run based on feel and use this time to not focus on my watch. Fun fact; sometimes this is when I have my best run.
- If I am struggling to get out the door aka it’s pouring, I tell myself that there is a bubble bath after. You guys, there is nothing better than a nice hot bubble bath after a cold and rainy run.
Yoga daily during the week. Anywhere from 15-60 minutes and any style of yoga. As a runner, Yin Yoga is always a must at least once a week.
- Yin Yoga I tend to lean towards Yoga With Kassandra.
- Flow Yoga; I tend to learn towards Yoga With Adriene.
Whether coming home from a solo walk, a run, or a walk with the dog, I can take the stairs. Brie loves to take the stairs; the stare back judgment about how I’m not going fast enough for her, I could do without 😉

Tips for dealing with holiday food

I set myself a goal for 100 ounces of water per day, and I am pretty firm about that during the holidays. The more water I drink, the less I tend to snack.
- If I am at a holiday party and consuming alcohol, I increase my water consumption by about 20%. Obviously, that is not a concern this year *insert eye roll here*
When we meal prep lunches for the workweek, we also wash and cut veggies to keep in the fridge.
We keep the good for you stuff, like the Rx protein bars in grabbing distance and keep the treats put away. This is definitely more difficult now that I work at home …send help.
Most importantly, if I slip and go out unexpectedly, or eat an extra treat here and there, I do not freak out. S**t happens, and by being less stressed about the slip-up, I get back on track. And guess what? Pants still fit 😉

2020 Brings A Level Of Holiday Complexity

But only if you let it.

Stress eating and drinking have definitely been a thing this year, myself included. But you know what would be more stressful? Telling myself to behave during the holidays and treat it as if I’m dieting. I’m here for all the treats and wine this year. With this pandemic heading into a new year, perhaps these are tips you can use to help you kick off the new year. Perhaps you can use these tips as part of your everyday life.

But the one takeaway you should get from this post is that don’t let yourself feel guilty. It’s the holidays so enjoy yourself! Over here, it is looking more and more likely to not be able to spend Christmas with our family, but am I going to sacrifice turkey dinner? Nope! I am going to make a Christmas dinner, and probably eat that for an entire week, since we’re only a household of two.

Say it with me: I will not stress about my food habits during the holidays.

What is something that you’ve found works for you during the holidays? Comment below!