The week before Christmas, and .. nah, just kidding. This article is going to be all about saving your sanity, right before the intensity and chaos of Christmas hits (and ends in the blink of an eye).
We prep all season long for Christmas – but it’s so easy to let things that are important to us slide by the wayside when we do.
To that end, we are going to break this up into two parts – one part focused on saving your sanity, and the other focused on a more specific part of that – boosting your Trim Healthy Mama willpower.
Saving Your Sanity Before Christmas:
- Delegate! Instead of trying to cook the entire meal or buy/wrap every present yourself, give family members or other people who will be involved a job! (Use your best judgement on deciding what others can handle and what you should personally do. You don’t have to do it all!)
- Do NOT give in and eat ALL THE THINGS – even healthy foods can be overdone, and if you aren’t hungry, be careful what you consume. Even innocent looking drinks can pack a caloric punch – and although we don’t count calories as Trim Healthy Mamas, we are aware of them.
- Pick and choose the gatherings/parties you attend – with the pandemic still a factor and large groups being a risk, you should consider picking and choosing your gatherings instead of trying to attend them all. Not only will this help reduce risk (for you and others), but it can help reduce stress, too.
Boost Your (THM) Will Power:
- Prep ahead – if you prepare Trim Healthy Mama friendly foods beforehand, it will give you something healthy to eat when the hangries hit – or when something tempting (but off plan) passes by!
- Listen to “The Poddy” – when I need an extra encouragement boost, I love to listen to the Trim Healthy Mama podcast with Pearl and Serene (and Danny).
- Hire a THM coach (or enlist an accountability buddy) – not everyone can afford a coach (although they are a great asset) but an accountability buddy is even more accessible and if you have a THM friend, you could both benefit.
- Give yourself GRACE (but not an excuse to binge) – grace is different than excuses. If you are constantly repeating the same “mistakes”, then consider if you are truly making excuses for yourself instead of trying to do better. HOWEVER, don’t be too hard on yourself for an innocent mistake (or slip up) – everyone falls off the wagon at some point. It’s a fine line, and we all tend to waver to one side or the other – just don’t stay on the excuse side too often!
- Remember, crossovers (XO) are ON PLAN!! – If it takes crossovers all holiday long to keep you on track, you are still doing the plan. Just remember that too many crossovers aren’t conducive to weight loss, and get back to mixing up your fuel types as soon as you can.
Need some additional support dealing with family and friends this time of year? See Making Family Gatherings Less Overwhelming for tips and ideas on how to cope.
It’s the week before Christmas. How are all of you preparing to stay happy, healthy, and sane for the holiday? Let me know in the comments below.
Christian, wife, “hybrid” mama, I run the site All Behind A Smile to help others like me.
[…] of stress and overwhelm, the week before Christmas can be hectic – so consider checking out The Week Before Christmas (Saving your Sanity) not just for ways to, well, stay sane, but to save your THM willpower, […]