Important reminder: We can't change what has happened in the past, only what happens now and in the future. No matter what you ate over the weekend or how off track you may be feeling, that doesn't mean you have to stay off track! You can change (for the better) what happens now and every day moving forward.
The more you prepare in advance, the less stress you'll have during holidays. This weekend, think about what you can do in advance to get ready for Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it). If not – think about what you can do to prepare for the upcoming week. Then, use the time you'll free up for de-stressing and self-care activities, like exercise or meditation.
If you have a hard day and then eat in response to it, the only thing you'll do is make your day harder because you'll then feel badly and guilty about it. And, you'll likely make the next day harder, too, because once you get off track, it's more difficult to get back to and stay on plan.
Sabotaging Thought: I'm worried I won't be able to control my weight during the upcoming holiday season.
Response: While it is certainly harder to stay in control during the holidays, it's by no means impossible. I am ultimately in charge of every bite of food I put in my mouth, which means I am ultimately in charge of whether I gain weight, lose weight, or stay the same.
People usually start dieting when they're highly motivated and so sticking to their plans is fairly easy. However, this initial motivation (which we call the "Honeymoon Stage") always wears off and then dieting gets harder. This is 100% normal, it happens to everyone, and as long as you keep doing what you're doing, dieting WILL get easier again.
Even though the prospect of continuing to work on healthy eating during times of stress may seem daunting, many dieters find that when they feel in control of their eating, it helps them feel more in control in general. So what they think might make them feel more stressed actually does the exact opposite.
This weekend, remember that it's not all-or-nothing. It's not as if you can eat every bite of food you want, whenever you want it, or you can't ever eat anything you want. There is a huge middle ground between these two extremes, and working on finding it allows you to enjoy reasonable amounts of food AND enjoy all the benefits of weight loss.
It's not enough to read these Daily Diet Solutions once and expect them to make a big difference. What will make a difference is if you copy the ones that resonate with you onto Response Cards and read them every day. The more you read them, the more the ideas will get into your brain!