How to navigate the holidays
Whether you are in your off season, post show recovery, on prep or you know, just chillin’… Christmas can be a confusing and overwhelming time for many. As we all know, many social occasions tend to revolve around food & Christmas is no different. As the festivities begin you are invited to Christmas parties, work parties, family gatherings etc. Attending these events can be difficult to navigate, especially as a first timer. You are surrounded by food, treats & endless utterances of “Go on, one won’t hurt!”.
So, how do you manage this?…
Eat ONLY as much as YOU want to.
Listen to your bodies hunger cues. If you are full, stop eating. You don’t have to finish everything on your plate. You don’t have to eat dessert or seconds just because everyone else is.
Bring your meal prep.
If you know everyone else will be eating and you are on prep or following a meal plan that doesn’t allow for multiple off plan meals, then take your meal prep with you. Most restaurants will be okay with you taking your Tupperware if everyone else is buying food. You can buy a coffee, diet drink, water etc. too. If you are eating at some ones’ house then this is even easier to do!
Check the menu in advance.
By knowing what options the restaurants has in advance can take away any anxiety around making food choices. You can plan the remainder of your meals for the day around this too, which is handy especially if you are macro tracking. When you are ordering your food, you may be hungry. This may make you subconsciously want to order more food than necessary, causing you to over-indulge. Choosing in advance can help to prevent this.
Politely say ‘no’.
You don’t have to accept every invitation. You don’t have to have extra potatoes because your Aunty Sue is. You don’t have to eat a brownie just because your Grandma made them and told you that “one won’t hurt”. Politely decline anything that isn’t in line with your goals or desires. People love to talk about themselves, change the topic, ask them a question about something in the lives and they’ll soon forget that you didn’t eat the brownie.
Take a day or two ‘off’.
If you are at a stage in your journey where you can be a little more lenient then there is no harm in taking a day or two to eat intuitively. No tracking, just enjoying yourself and not worrying. A day or two WILL NOT ruin all of your hard work. Spend time with your loved ones, eat some good food, have an eggnog or two & then get back to it…guilt free!
None of these options above are right or wrong. Everyone will approach the holidays differently & that’s okay! Choose the route that is in line with your goals. Choose the option that will make you the happiest. Just don’t stress yourself out or overthink it!
Here are some episodes from our podcast @Notjustabikinigirl that you may resonate with during this time..
Please remember…You aren’t alone.
If you are struggling and you need someone to talk to please don’t hesitate to drop us a DM @Kompakwomen or Email info@kompak.store. We all love to chat & we are a team of current/past competitors, so we geuninely can completely emphathise with any feelings that you may be experiencing…because we’ve experienced them ourselves!
You’ve got this….Merry Christmas!
