Get Over the “All or Nothing” Mindset and Lose Weight Permanently
Halloween now kicks off the holiday eating season. The beginning of this “season” used to be Thanksgiving. However Halloween is now a huge retail and eating holiday as well. There are parties and baskets of candy everywhere along with Halloween cupcakes and other treats.
Holiday eating is one of the ways people throw off their ability to lose weight permanently. Everyone does it but the people who are able to shed those extra pounds think differently. They are able to realize that it’s only one day and then get right back to their normal healthy eating behavior.
The people who don’t get back to normal eating patterns have the “all or nothing” mindset. A person who has this mindset will sabotage themselves repeatedly. Let’s face it folks, if you’d just stop eating after the holiday it only takes a couple of days for the extra weight to come off. The “all or nothing” thinkers do not think logically and rationally about food. To say to oneself that because you had a couple of pieces of candy it is now OK to binge on candy and cake is not only illogical but ridiculous. This behavior in my practice is one of the key indicators of people not able to lose weight permanently.
Until a person is able to overcome that mindset they will continue to be under the control of holiday eating. Every year the average American packs on 7-10 pounds during the holidays. Most never get rid of those excess pounds and every year they add another 7-10. If you then add to the holiday list birthdays, anniversaries and vacations it is easy to see how people gain weight year after year.
The following are seven ways to change the holiday eating behavior and overcome “all or nothing” thinking:
- To recognize this behavior in your self is the first step to change.
- Use your mind better- in other words when you recognize those thoughts do something to distract yourself from thoughts of food.
- Journal about the emotions that you have about the holiday and food.
- Eat more mindfully. Sit to eat and focus on the food so that you enjoy what you are eating. Chew your food thoroughly.
- Make sure to get some exercise so that you can burn off what you’ve eaten and feel more in control.
- Let go of the guilt and realize that if you get back to normal eating your weight will drop.
- Get rid of leftovers. This includes the Halloween candy too.
