Staying the Course During the Holidays and Thriving (Not Oust Surviving)

Welcome! Hello everyone, good morning, good afternoon, depending on where you are. Good morning. Hi Raj. Hi Kim. Hi Kirk. Glad that you could join.

Hi.

Just gonna post in our Facebook group to see if anyone else is able to come, and a little reminder before we get started.

Good morning.

Good morning.

So we're new at this. Do we get a copy of this later, or is— or how does that work?

Yeah, there's actually a YouTube channel that, um, hosts all the replays of these every week. So if you cannot— if you can't make it live, you can always watch the replay. Okay, cool.

Yeah, I would turn and leave my video on, but I wouldn't gonna be walking around in the kitchen stuff.

No problem, whatever you like to do is great. Love the tree in the background. Looks fantastic.

Yeah, fireplace is going.

Oh, so festive.

I just roasted some tomatoes last night. I'm making tomato soup right now.

That's great. Saw that.

Yeah, and then I'm going to eat a Snickers and a pizza and not tell you about it.

Just kidding. Let's try not to.

Too funny, right?

Hi Madhukar, welcome. So if anyone— as we're just waiting, I'll just usually give it a couple of minutes to see if anyone else joins. If you'd like to put in the, uh, chat anything that you're grateful for, or what you're looking forward to or not looking forward to in terms of the holidays. I know it can be a very emotional time. I know it can be very Positive, negative, it can carry a whole lot of different thoughts and emotions and can be overwhelming too. So I would love to hear from anyone their thoughts on navigating the holidays, looking forward to it, not looking forward to it, or anything you're just grateful for in general. Kirk says he's grateful for this new way of eating and feels that his health will change. And it absolutely will. And anyone who has been here for a while can attest to that. So that's amazing.

Laura, you did send me an email a few weeks ago Yes. So is it— was it laura@becomeproof.com?

That's me.

I couldn't find what you sent me, so I don't know where it got. I was putting it back in my— there, you sent me something either on those modules or something. I can't remember.

Oh, um, let me go check through my sent email, Raj, and I'll resend it.

Thank you.

Or, um, if I— if I can, I'll put it in the chat in Practice Better.

Okay, thank you.

If that's better for you. Yeah, yeah.

Well, I'm grateful to be here. I'm grateful that, uh, kids will be joining us, uh, for Texas over the Christmas holidays.

Oh, nice.

For Thanksgiving, this one could make it. So, you know, that's it.

You'll take what you can get, right?

Yep.

Yeah, excellent. Hi, Kim. Um, feel free also, uh, if you're new here, feel free to just participate. You can unmute yourself.

Okay, great. I, I would also, um, show my picture, but I'm in the middle of getting ready and running around my house.

No problem.

But anyway, I wanted to just say I'm super grateful for, um, the fact that Kirk and I get to do this together and that we are, um just working really hard each day to create a really awesome food experience for ourselves. And that's been, that's been amazing. It's been really good to work with them together.

I'm so glad. It's so much easier when you do it with your partner just because there's no conflict in terms of the kitchen and what we're eating or what we're not eating. So it does make a big difference. And let me just say, you're both doing so well. Like, I was looking at your journals over the course of the week. I know you just started and it's a big change, but you are, you know, doing really, really well with compliance and all the different foods. So I'll also just mention that at the end of the presentation, it's an open Q&A. So if you have any questions about anything that you've come up against, you know, just preparation and getting started, by all means, feel free to to ask if you can stay for the whole thing. So I think it is 5 after the hour. We're going to just get started. Anyone else that can come, I will let in. And of course, as I said at the beginning, this is always available as a replay. So if you aren't able to attend or you want to watch it again in the future, there's also a huge library of presentations we've done in the past that are available to you. So, um, just so that you know that, and that, that link is both in Practice Better in the modules, it's also in the Facebook group if you're part of that. So why don't we just dive in and get started? I'm just going to share my screen. And this week we are talking about navigating the holidays. You know, we're at the beginning of December, things are just starting. You know, a lot of you just came off Thanksgiving, which is a, you know, basically kicks off the holiday season in the US. And, um, it can be a lot, you know, especially when you're trying to manage all the commitments of the holiday season and what that brings, as well as, um, sticking to plan if you're on currently doing the plan, or even if you're in maintenance and beyond. The sort of the, the more rigorous part of the plan and you still want to maintain the health and/or weight benefits that you experienced, the holidays can sort of throw a wrench in, into your plans, and it can be a really challenging time of the year. So I wanted to address this early on before we get too far into the holiday season because it's something that affects all of us no matter what we're celebrating, or even if we're not. It just the time of the year in general can, can be very heavily weighted towards food and, you know, celebrating and advertising. I mean, you name it, everything is just designed to make us want to either celebrate or eat or just be more active against some of the health goals that we are working on. So I just wanted to share with you some strategies for staying on plan during the holiday season without making you feel like you're restricted or deprived or overwhelmed because it is a wonderful and magical time of the year that we only get to celebrate once a year. But I do know, and we do understand, that it comes with a lot of stress and pressure and food temptations and disrupted routines, probably some travel. Alcohol plays a role as well. Of course, family dynamics, good or bad. And sometimes, you know, our— we just slip out of the routine or the rhythm that we've created around getting metabolically healthy. And none of those things mean, you know, if you get caught up in them that you are undisciplined. They just mean that you are a human living a holiday environment that changes everything. It changes your biology. It changes you emotionally, socially, and logistically sometimes. So We're going to talk a little bit about why the holidays can feel hard, and more importantly, how just to stay grounded, consistent, and confident while still being able to enjoy the season. Because I really want you to leave here today feeling prepared, empowered, and just calm about navigating the weeks that are ahead of us. So I think we need to sort of start with a little bit of a reality check, you know, what, what's happening during this season. So for some of us, or for many of us, our routines shift and change, right? You may have kids that are out of school all of a sudden, or coming home from school if they're older and perhaps away. Your work schedules may be changing, you're traveling, you're hosting gatherings or attending gatherings. Our normal days, basically just the structure gets screwed up and disappears in many, many instances. And with that obviously comes changes in the way the way we eat, the way we sleep, the way we time everything, whether or not we can move or exercise, our stress levels, and just having— feeling like we have control over our own, um, selves and routines. And it just feels a little less predictable. Your, your body feels the shift, your metabolism definitely feels it, and your nervous system feels it. So of course the food landscape obviously changes. As I was talking about, everywhere you turn there seems to be treats and drinks and desserts and appetizers or buffets, you know, and there's a lot of pressure to indulge. Food becomes a big part of the social environment, and staying on plan can require a little more intentionality and understanding. And just kind of knowing this helps to empower you to navigate it with more precision. There are also a lot of emotions that come up during the holiday season and triggers Holidays bring up nostalgia. They can bring up grief, complicated family relationships, or the pressure to just make sure everything feels perfect. Some of us deal with loneliness over the holidays and overcommitment and oftentimes financial stress, right? We feel like we want to be everything to everyone. And when you combine all of these emotional factors with disrupted routines, tempting foods and emotional activation can really, really make the season more challenging or feel harder. But I think it's really important to remember that it's not you, it's the environment, right? It's just the time of year. And when you understand the environment, you, you are better able to navigate it without guilt and of course without self-judgment because we, we're all guilty of that. Many of us fall into this all-or-nothing trap, right? It's just a really common mindset issue. You know, that whole thought of, I'll just start again in January. I don't even want to think about this. I'm just gonna put everything on pause and I'll start again. And I know I have said this in the past. I'm sure you have. Even if it doesn't have anything to do with food, there are things that you feel like you just want to set aside and take a break and allow yourself to enjoy the downtime of the holiday. But here's the reality, and I really want you to pay attention to this if food is one of those issues for you. January is not a reset button, right? It's not that square on the Monopoly board that you just sort of get to pass go and collect on. No, I really want you to try to change your mindset in thinking about that because If you just say, I'm going to start again in January, you're not technically erasing everything that happened in November and December, right? Those things still happened. So if you pause your plan, if you pause your, your new habits that you've developed for 4 weeks, 6 weeks, even 8 weeks, you're not just taking a break, you're often undoing progress. Right? You're maybe increasing your inflammation again. You're destabilizing the blood sugar that you've worked so hard to get in check and to stabilize. You're disrupting sleep patterns. And I don't want you to reach December 31st or January 1st, or worse, January 2nd, and just be stepping into a fresh start new year feeling discouraged, um, because you've pulled yourself out of balance and your body out of balance. I really don't think it has to be an all-or-nothing season. And what we always try to get everyone to make sure that they understand and strive for is just progress, right? Not perfection. This does not have to be an all-or-nothing season. You don't need perfection. You just need consistency and a little bit of small habits, little daily things you can do here and there just to stay on track. Because Maybe you don't hit plan 100% every day, but if you drink your water every day, that's a step in the right direction. If you prioritize protein, so is that. Maybe just you take a little bit of a walk after your meal, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, it doesn't have to be a lot. Or you choose the one dessert that you really, really like and want instead of grazing on all the desserts on the table. Or you stick to your sleep schedule. Sleep routine, whatever it is, it's these teeny tiny small actions that protect your momentum and ultimately your metabolism. And as we talked about during the holidays, your normal routine, your normal rhythm may not be possible. And for a lot of people, it's just not, and that's okay. But what really matters is that you choose a few anchors to keep your body regulated. And anchors are these small daily habits I was just talking about that give your body stability even when life gets really hectic and chaotic. So again, you know, a glass of water first thing in the morning when you wake up. Bonus if you put a squirt of lemon in there and some of your sea salts for electrolytes. Starting your day with a protein-rich meal, whether that's breakfast or lunch. Having that protein to stabilize your blood sugar, that's a win. A little bit of movement, 10 minutes, even if it's just walking around your living room, it's getting up off your chair and it's moving. Perhaps a quiet moment at the beginning or the end of the day, that ritual that just helps you ground yourself in or wind down before you want to go to sleep. As you can see, these anchors do not have to be big, they just have to be consistent. And if you're doing them every day, you're achieving that consistency even if something else isn't 100% perfect. So I just invite you to ask yourself, What can you commit to over this holiday season that you are going to do no matter what is happening? And I would ask you then to sort of think of these things as your holiday non-negotiables. When we sort of talk about food as it relates to the, the holidays, we have to learn how to navigate that a little bit better. And this is a big trigger for a lot of people because let's be honest, food is everywhere during the holidays. We see buffets and appetizers, desserts, cocktails, charcuterie boards, all the things that we love, right? They're just so much more available. And most holiday foods are specifically engineered to be hyperpalatable, meaning they're really easy to overeat and really hard to resist. So that makes for a bad combination. But staying on plan again doesn't mean avoiding every single thing on the table, you know, whether it's a dessert or a cocktail. It just means choosing with more intention instead of reacting impulsively. So I just wanted to share a few other strategies that can make a huge difference when you're navigating the food landscape. So if you are going to a social event, it's a really good idea to start with not arriving hungry, right? Have a little bit of protein, a small snack before you go so that you're not ravenous when you arrive and you want to eat the entire table in front of you. It makes you more grounded, it makes you more stable. Have a quick survey of the room if there is food available, whether it's, you know, again, just like a table or a buffet if you're going to that kind of environment. Have a quick look, survey the room, and really kind of mentally decide what you want to put on your plate. Genuinely taking the time to do that instead of just piling everything on your plate when you get there is going to help you react act less impulsively. Starting with protein again, protein is your friend here throughout the holidays. Honestly, whether you're starting your day that way or having a little, uh, satiating snack before you go out, or as you're building your plate, if you focus on protein and having protein first, you are going to stabilize your blood sugar and going to create less cravings that make you want the more tempting foods. So protein first and veggies second. If you're loading up on those two things, you're golden. Um, and making sure that, uh, you're staying hydrated. If you choose to indulge in a cocktail or two, uh, certainly no judgment, but maybe just make sure you're having a glass of water in between those cocktails to stay hydrated. And, um, maybe decide on your boundary before you head to that event. Are you going to allow yourself 2 glasses of wine, um, or just 1? And again, making sure you're staying hydrated is really going to help, again, stabilize blood sugar. You can also do the mocktail route. Nobody has to know, and it's nobody's business of whether what you're drinking, what's in your glass. Have sparkling water with lime. Sparkling water with bitters is a really nice substitute for a cocktail as well. And if all else fails, or you know you're going somewhere that's gonna be especially difficult for you, if you can, bring your own food, whether that's your own pre-portioned meal or a dish that you're able to share with other people, but something that you know isn't going to sabotage your plans and that will make you feel good about your choices later on. So just, you know, remembering that you can indulge without losing control, you can still enjoy a treat now and then without abandoning the plan completely. It's really about mindful indulgence. And that is a really, really powerful thing because when you're reactively indulging, that's what's going to feel— make you feel regretful later on. A lot of us have to deal with social pressures during the holidays as well. We've all been in that situation where we feel pressured to eat something or try something because somebody lovingly made it for us. I know that everybody's experienced that because the holidays come with people who love you and want to feed you. Or people who perhaps don't want to feel guilty about their own choices, right? So they encourage you to just have something else or just have one more. Oh, you know, just a taste. We've all heard it. Come on, it's the holidays, or I made it for you, you're not going to have it, or, you know, don't worry, you don't need to be dieting around us. Whatever the vernacular is that you are being presented with, You just have to be aware that it's probably not sabotage, or at least conscious sabotage. It's people trying to connect, right? Or it's tradition, or it's just habit. But it can really feel uncomfortable and can make you feel like you're going off the rails with your plan. So a few just graceful responses that you can use are things like, it looks wonderful, but I'm really trying to pace myself tonight. Or, I feel so much better eating the way I've been eating that I just want to keep feeling good. So thank you, but I'm not going to indulge in that tonight. Or, I, you know, I'm choosing foods that support my body and feel good to me. Or even just a plain and simple, no thank you, I'm good right now, or I'm all set right now, is more than sufficient. And remember, like, you don't have to justify anything to anyone. You certainly don't need to explain anything to anyone or announce your goals or give a reason because ultimately your food choices belong to you and they are valid and actually end up setting an example for other people in the long run. Stress is another big component of the holidays, right? It, it can be very stressful and something that we tend to underestimate, holiday stress. Cortisol is our stress hormone, and it tends to rise this time of year. If, if any of you have really tuned into your Oura rings yet, you may have noticed it sending you signals that your body is experiencing more stress. Stress doesn't have to be bad either. It can be good stress, but it's the bad stress that we want to try to avoid. And that just comes with more rushing around and more commitments and more expectations and just that emotional activation that we've talked about in terms of