Halloween is just behind us and the holiday season is quickly approaching. Is there any more exciting time of the year?! It’s the season for gathering with friends and family, baking all things apple and pumpkin, and delicious hot beverages! They’re some of the most timeless fall staples. Somehow a festive atmosphere always includes something delicious. If you’re anything like me, it also makes this the time of year when it can be hardest to stick to clean and healthy eating habits. In general I’m very intentional about what I eat and feed my family. I try to stick to a Paleo style of eating because my oldest and I both have trouble with gluten, and I feel better overall when I eat this way. But as summer winds down and the sweaters and leggings make their way back into the wardrobe, I often tend to ease up and give in to less-than-healthy temptations more often. And if I’m being honest with myself, I know that I’m going to enjoy whatever I want on Thanksgiving Day, because it’s ONE day of the year. I’m also going to bake Christmas cookies and treats with my girls and we’re gonna eat more than our fair share of them- it’s part of the fun! I try to use recipes that are better-for-you and as Paleo as possible, but sometimes that just doesn’t happen. It’s more important to me to make memories with my kids than it is to obsess about my waistline. #sorrynotsorry
A few things tend to happen when I stray from my usual intentional eating habits, though. First, when I eat more sweets, I want more sweets. I end up with cravings and find that it’s much more difficult to pass up a treat. Second, I don’t feel very well. Sugar and carbs tend to make me feel foggy, irritable, and and sluggish. They make my belly pretty unhappy, too, and that’ll take the fun out of any holiday or celebration. The third thing that happens you can probably guess- weight gain. Ugh. We’ve all been there after the holiday season… staring at the scale in disbelief, feeling extra dough-y and a little disappointed in ourselves. It happens, but it doesn’t have to be that way. This year I’m determined to do better and avoid that whole scene!
That’s why I want to reset and re-establish my healthy habits BEFORE we head into this season of #eatingallthethings! My goals are 1) damage control from eating a little too willy-nilly lately, 2) to squash the sugar+carb cravings and help myself resist too much indulgence in sweets over the holiday season, and 3) to heal up and feel my best for the holidays. I suffer from gastritis and acid reflux, as well as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, so my diet plays a huge role in how I feel. In the past to reset my body and my habits I’ve done the Whole-30 challenge, 3 different times to be exact. I’m a big fan of this program. I think it gets the science right, and it works really well- and you’ll probably see me reference it many times in the future. So, why not just do it again? There are a few reasons.
1.Food rules.
The Whole-30 program has a specific list of foods that are approved to eat, and a list of those you should not eat while doing the challenge. I think these lists are great, and keep things very clear and simple for people following the challenge. The idea is to let your body reset and then be able to identify how different foods affect your body. From doing the W30 challenge in the past, I know what works for me and what doesn’t, and how I feel when I eat certain things. So instead of adhering strictly to these lists, I’m focusing on avoiding sugar and grains since I know that they cause me the most trouble. I also always stay away from processed oils, legumes, and soy. Although all dairy is prohibited on W30, I know that I can tolerate small amounts of cheese, and a little bit of milk in my coffee or mixed into scrambled eggs, so I’ll continue to do that. Plus, if a cheese stick can stop me from eating a handful of chocolate, which I won’t be able to stop eating, that’s a win!
2. I’m not counting days.
W30 is a 30 day challenge. I totally get why it’s 30 days, and that many people continue it longer than 30 days. I personally need to be in the mindset that my habits are indefinite. Each time I’ve completed a W30 I feel amazing, like I’m on this high of empowerment. Then eventually I come back down, the feeling of power fades, and I slide back into bad habits. After awhile when I start feeling the effects of my bad eating habits, I do another round of W30. This basically amounts to a cycle of yo-yo dieting, which we all know is super unhealthy! I need to be in a long-term, permanent mindset regarding how I eat. W30 rules also indicate that if you stray, even accidentally, from the plan {ex: you’re at a party and you have some seemingly safe vegetables and salsa, then discover later that the salsa had sugar in it} you’re supposed to start all over at Day 1. I personally find this super discouraging, but since I’m not not counting days there’s nothing to start over. If I accidentally, or purposely, eat something that contains sugar or grains, then I do, and I’ll move on and get back to being more careful. This is a marathon not a sprint, and I’m not holding myself to perfection. That’s a set-up for failure.
3. Substitutes
W30 rules indicate you can not use W30 ingredients to make a non-W30 food item. For example- you should not make W30 pancakes, muffins, bread, desserts or treats, etc. even if you use ingredients that are allowed on the W30 plan. I believe the idea is to break the habit of eating this type of food. I don’t know exactly how the rule works, however, since it’s okay to make things like ‘rice’ out of cauliflower, or ‘pasta’ out of zucchini. I’ve seen recipes for W30 Chick-fil-a nuggets, ranch dressing, and shepherd’s pie also, all made with W30-approved ingredients instead of the traditional ones. While I get that not all recipes out there are official W30-approved, it still doesn’t totally make sense to me that it’s fine to make ‘pasta’ but not a ‘pancake.’ That said, I believe that eating grain+sugar-free pancakes with my kiddos on the weekend is better than caving and eating a bowl of cereal with them. For me, sticking to my goals is more important than following some rules perfectly.
In addition to improving my eating habits, I’m also drinking more water and scheduling workouts 3-4x a week- scheduling being the key, here! Exercise plays a huge part in the general health of our mind and body, and it’s super helpful for reducing stress which I know affects my eating habits and my digestion in a negative way.
Hopefully with all of these good habits well-established by the time the holidays get here, I’ll be able to enjoy some treats, resist over-doing it, and finish 2018 feeling great! Do you have any strategies for getting through the holidays without overindulging? Are planning any fun ways to finish 2018 strong? Share your own tips in the comments! I’d love to hear what others are doing to stay healthy this holiday season!
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional, dietician, nutritionist, health coach or any other specially trained individual! Please don’t take this post as advice! I’m just a girl who has done a lot of personal research on health and nutrition. The strategies discussed above are what I’ve decided to do to meet my own personal health needs and goals. Talk to your doctor about any changes you’d like to make to your diet or exercise routine!
