Mobile Menu

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Menu
  • Skip to left header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Annie B Kay

telehealth holistic dietitian, yoga therapist

Header Left

Header Right

  • Home
  • About
    • Start Here
    • Media
    • About
    • Contact
  • Read, Listen, Cook, Shop
    • Blog
    • Quickeners Podcast
    • Easy Healthy Recipes
    • Books by Annie B. Kay
      • Every Bite Is Divine
      • Yoga & Diabetes
    • Herbal, Supplement & Health Products Shop
  • Let’s Work Together
    • Workshops & Appearances
    • Personal Nutrition & Lifestyle Coaching
    • Contact
You are here: Home / Heal with Food / Nutrition Tips / Holiday Merriment and Weight

Holiday Merriment and Weight

December 9, 2014 //  by annie//  Leave a Comment

Here it is. The holiday season.
Party time, candy and cookie time, rich food time. Estimates for how much Americans gain during this season range from 5 to 15 pounds, depending on who’s doing the reporting. And the particular parties you bless with your presence, I imagine.  I wonder if the weight gain phenomenon is more prevalent in New England and the northern climes, but I’d love to hear stories and strategies from those in warmer places as to their situation and strategies for maintaining a healthy weight (and healthy habits) through this time. I imagine every region has it’s own spin on the bacchanal that is the holidays.

Here are few survival tips:

Accept the fact that you won’t be losing weight this month.

Regardless if you are a party momma or a stay-at-homer, there is just more high-calorie food around. Just maintaining is a feat this time of year, so relax on  weight goals right now. January will be here soon enough.

Keep on moving. Practice stress management. Tie them together.

Keep physical activity top-of-mind this month, and don’t miss an opportunity to move. Physical activity is great stress management, so if you didn’t get your packages in the mail on time, didn’t get to cards this year, didn’t knit all your friends sweaters or didn’t get invited to the right parties, move a little to release the emotion that sits in your body as a result of life not being perfect.

Focus on the peeps, not the table.

Food traditions this time of year carry deep resonance and a strong pull. For me, it’s my mom’s cookies, and anything resembling eggnog. It’s not always easy to remember that the reason for the season is really love, hope and connectedness. I know that many family relationships can be challenging, and that can drive us to seek comfort from seasonal goodies in unhealthy quantities. There’s a Buddhist practice that may be helpful in working with relationships this season. The Dali Lama describes a practice of bowing down to the difficult people in your life, and thanking them for the opportunity they have provided to help you to experience spiritual growth. Love and honor them! For me, this practice a) cracks me up a little, and b) opens me up to another way to seeing things beyond the way my conditioned judgemental mind does. Somehow, it makes it easier for me to step back and see the people who challenge me differently, and to forgive them for the pain they cause me.
And finally:

Resist and renounce projections as to what it “should be”

As gifted American poet Mary Oliver says, Whoever you are, no matter how lonely or difficult your life is, the world opens itself to you this season. My wish for you is to feel that magic. My wish for you is that someone does the Buddhist practice of loving you when you cause them pain. And I wish you peace.
Namaste
Annie
 
 

Category: Nutrition Tips, Yoga of EatingTag: weight

Related Posts

You may be interested in these posts from the same category.

emotional eating to eating disorder

Emotional Eating, Disordered Eating, Eating Disorders

benefits of mindful eating

6 Benefits of Mindful Eating

Let's get cooking

Let's Get Cooking at Kripalu

What Diet Works for Weight The Science is In by Annie B Kay -anniebkay.com

What Diet Works for Weight? The Science is In

Roasted Vegetables -Healthy or Not Healthy -by Annie B Kay -anniebkay.com

Roasted Vegetables – Healthy or Not Healthy?

What is Medical Nutrition Therapy? Real Food As Medicine by Annie B Kay - anniebkay.com

What is Medical Nutrition Therapy? Real Food As Medicine

Low Carb - Healthy or Not Healthy- by Annie B Kay - anniebkay.com

Low Carb – Healthy or Not Healthy?

Food Is Everything: What Is It to You- by Annie B Kay - anniebkay.com

Food Is Everything: What Is It to You?

3 Big Lies Weighing You Down by Annie B Kay - anniebkay.com

3 Big Lies Weighing You Down

Yoga Therapy in Dietetics by Annie B Kay - anniebkay.com

Yoga Therapy in Dietetics – Here Comes FNCE

The Politics of Protein by Annie B Kay

The Politics of Protein

Intentions Can Last – Here's How

Previous Post: « Meditation improves gene expression
Next Post: Annie's Top 5 Nutrition Memes of 2014 »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Topics

  • Heal with Food
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Recipes
    • Yoga of Eating
  • Heal with Nature
    • Plant Alchemy
    • Plant Medicine
  • Heal with Yoga
    • Meditation & Breathing
    • Yoga Therapy
  • Integrated Life
    • Balanced, Happy, Blessed
    • For Health Pros
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellness
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Annie’s Books on Goodreads

Every Bite Is Divine: The Balanced Approach to Enjoying Eating, Feeling Healthy and Happy, and Getting to a Weight That's Natural for You
Every Bite Is Divine: The Balanced Approach to Enjoying Eating, Feeling Healthy and Happy, and Getting to a Weight That’s Natural for You

reviews: 4

ratings: 14 (avg rating 3.21)


Yoga and Diabetes: Your Guide to Safe and Effective Practice
Yoga and Diabetes: Your Guide to Safe and Effective Practice

reviews: 1

ratings: 6 (avg rating 3.83)



Footer

Inspiration

“Every day is another chance to get a little stronger, to enjoy a little more, to make choices that help you live a little healthier, and to be a bit more of your own true self.”

Be You

Recent Posts

quickeners podcast episode 4Quickeners Podcast Episode 4: Not Your Fault. Now What?
emotional eating to eating disorderEmotional Eating, Disordered Eating, Eating Disorders
garlic leek soupGarlicky Leek Soup Recipe
quickeners podcast courageMoving Grief with Courage: Quickeners Special Episode
Quickeners Podcast Episode 1Quickeners Podcast: Episode 1 – Finding Inspiration
breakfast salad recipeBreakfast Salad Recipe

Site Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 Annie B Kay · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme