It happens – the big backslide. You find yourself off in a different environment for a few days or something happens that totally throws you off your game. I spent Christmas out in California with family. The five days I was out there was an overload of fabulous restaurant dinners and even more fabulous home-cooked spreads. I have had friends complain to me in the past about traveling with family and/or friends when your food choices feel like they are out of your own control. It initially might seem silly to think it is out of our control, like our friends are pinning us down and cramming the food in our mouths. Of course they are not – but it does not negate that feeling. Even if you acknowledge that what you are eating is within your own control, the choices on the table may not offer what you would normally reach for. The foods are delicious and the holiday atmosphere takes over.
What happened to me was the toll on my own body. My stomach began rebelling and I felt physically uncomfortable most of the time due to the food I was putting in my body. Mentally, I watched the pain/pleasure principle demonstrate itself to full effect! Notice if you are feeling even the tiniest bit of discomfort from overeating and let that magnify in your brain. You want to remember that there is pain associated with overeating. It breaks the pattern if you acknowledge the discomfort of it. Then returning home to your normal routines is pure pleasure. You find you are looking forward to grilled protein and a pile of veggies. When you get up and have your usual light, nutrient-packed breakfast and go for a walk, and notice how much lighter and more energetic you are already feeling; it’s a wonderful contrast and reinforcement for how you want to feed yourself most of the time.
So no worries. Are there going to be times that you stray from your normal “fuel” that makes you feel great? Of course! When there are, what is so perfect about it? The fact that you can use it as a clear example of why you chose to eat cleaner and in small amounts in your daily life. It demonstrates the pain of overeating versus the pleasure of pushing away the plate as soon as you stop feeling hungry. Maybe the day will come when you never, ever fall into the holiday food trap. Until then – it is your best lesson on why you want to stop eating before you bloat your belly!
