Mama, I Know Your Holiday Cooking Says You Love Me, However …
My HCG Diet Is Saving My Life!
Emotional Triggers
Many of us have a mom, grand-mom, aunt, or heaven forbid, mother- or father-in-law whose greatest pleasure is feeding those they love. Add to that a sabotaging sibling or cousin who has never been able to master their own weight; you’re just not totally sure their “little green monster” isn’t a little miffed because you’re looking so fit.
Accept that you’re not going to change these people or their behavior. You own resolve, however, can keep your HCG Diet gains on track while also preserving the holiday peace. It’ll take some planning, but formulate, write out and practice some responses like those below that might gain some understanding from your worst food pushers.
For the sweetest family members:
“Mama, you know I love your brown sugar sweet potato casserole and I know you love making it for me. Your love for me taught me to love myself, and that self-love led me to find a great doctor who’s taught me how sugar wrecks havoc on my metabolism. I’m going to pass on the sweets this year, but know that I love and appreciate all the hard work you put into our family dinners.” And a hug wouldn’t hurt a thing right here.
For those who need a tougher push-back:
“When was the last time you had your blood sugar (cholesterol, thyroid, etc.) checked? My doctor told me I was a candidate for heart disease by 60 if I didn’t get my nutrition under control. We have many of the same genes, you know.” Hug, optional.
Bolster Your Resolve With Affirmations
Writing and rewriting affirmations daily can work to bolster our drive toward any goal, and they’re especially appropriate to prepare you for the food challenges you’ll face over the holidays. Write them repeatedly or say them aloud to yourself, maybe in front of a mirror. Try both methods for two or three days, perhaps first thing in the morning and right before you go to sleep. You’ll quickly know which methods and positive affirmations work for you:
- My HCG Diet makes my body stronger and leaner everyday. I chose to follow these guidelines that are making me feel so good.
- I make smart food and exercise choices every minute of every day.
- I love the people who are pushing unhealthy foods at me, but I love myself and my healthy body even more.
Put Technology And Tapping In Your War Chest
For another approach to minimizing the emotions and challenges the holidays bring forth, you may find that the Emotional Freedom Technique helps relieve your stress and bolster your resolve. Here’s a link to an EFT tapping video to get you started: Emotional Freedom Technique. There are lots of smartphone apps to make the practice easy — we found the Charmistry iEFT for iPhone $0.99 app particularly user friendly.
Share The Love
You won’t be only one at your holiday event who knows they should be eating better. Search for scrumptious, beautiful recipes made from foods on your HCG Diet lists. Make and take at least one dish to holiday events. Yes, you’ll have foods you enjoy available for yourself, but you’ll also be giving everyone at the event the gift of learning that healthy foods don’t have to be bland or boring. Instead of being the fussy Grinch who won’t partake of the holiday feast, your new recipes will be star attractions.
Over The Hill And Through The Woods … With Your HCG Diet
You’ve got a routine of daily weigh-ins and calorie management that works well in your home, but travel will bring its own challenges. A little planning will keep you on track. Long before you depart, search online for a “travel body scale” or “portable body scale” — we found more than one that weighs less than 2.5 pounds for less than $25. Make sure your new scale is calibrated to the one you use at home and you won’t be waylaid by your host’s scale which may be far from accurate — maybe because that “sabotaging sibling” sets their scale 10 pounds too low.
If you can travel with food, and possibly a cooler, pre-measure your portions and take them with you. If not, pack your food scale, a few zip lock bags and search out your best food shopping options at your destination before you leave home.
For extra help hitting your daily calorie target on unfamiliar turf, try out a smartphone app that helps you keep count. One we like is NewFit’s Lose It, which:
- Calculates the calories of everything you eat
- Measures your intake against your daily and weekly goals
- Has calorie counts for hundreds of chain restaurant foods as well as food labels that the app will scan
- Allows you to input calorie counts for your custom foods and meals, and
- Estimates the calories burned during a multiple of exercises.
Following your personally prescribed HCG Diet protocol is key to success; these tips should when they complement your existing program, and disregarded if they veer from your prescribed program. Call us to schedule if you’d like a consult to learn how our Wilmington NC HCG Diet program can help you reach your weight loss and fitness goals, once and for all, as it has for many others.
