How to Have an Abundance Mindset ~ Holiday Eating Tips for Every Day of the Year
I’m writing this Thanksgiving week, but what you’ll read can be applied any day of the year. Having an abundance mindset is something that will set you up for healthy eating 365 days a year.
But back to the holiday season. This is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but unfortunately, for some people, this also signals the end to healthy living until January 1 when they intend to start over by signing up for an extreme challenge or a new diet plan. Why is this?
We tend to use special occasions as an excuse to overindulge…
It’s your birthday (or the day after or the week of). Cake for breakfast becomes perfectly reasonable.
Halloween. A dozen mini chocolates, anyone? Totally acceptable (they’re mini after all, right?)!
The problem with this season is that there isn’t just one special occasion here and there.
There’s not just the day of the holiday. There are also parties, work functions, cookie exchanges, etc. Every day becomes a special occasion, and if we’re not careful, we take on an “anything goes” mindset. But at the end of the day, or the end of the season, we’re not feeling so good. We’re feeling heavier, not only physically but mentally as well. We’re having regrets and wishing we could have a do-over. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can embrace this season and enjoy it for all its worth.
You can have an abundance mindset and continue living fit and free through the holiday season and beyond when you apply the following tools to your healthy lifestyle.
- Approach Thanksgiving with an abundance mindset – this applies to any holiday really. The truth is, there is nothing truly special about holiday meals aside from the people we share them with.
We live in a first world country where the foods we want are at our fingertips 365 days per year. So, in reality, you could have Thanksgiving in part or in whole at any time. When you approach food with an abundance mindset, it’s a lot easier to practice holiday levels of moderation.
Ask yourself what food or foods only show up once a year at this event and which ones are easily accessible most days. Choose the foods that you rarely get but you love.
- Expect, accept, and embrace over-indulgence – It would be completely unreasonable to say you won’t over-indulge.
A key for me is being ok with it, not wracking myself with guilt because I knew it was coming! Heck…I plan on it – not to the extreme, but I may not practice my normal tool of eating to 80ish% full.
The damage stress does and the way it affects hormonal balance (and ultimately how much body fat we have) is far worse than having one big meal – so go enjoy it! Then move on. Get back to your “regularly scheduled programming.”
- Fill your plate with protein and veggies first, then add tastes of all the other goodies – When you strategically fill your plate with the better stuff, you’re obviously going to be better off. This includes meals before or after the event.
If the gathering happens at lunch, have your healthy breakfast and end your day with a healthy dinner. Too often people will skip a meal and then attend the event famished and eat without being mindful.
- Plan to move – whether you go for a hike with your family, get a hard strength workout, or simply take a 20 minute walk, vow to do something to get your body moving before the big meal. You’ll feel much better all day for it! Bonus: Take a walk after your meal. Did you know that moving after you eat helps balance blood sugar?
Having an abundance mindset will help you live fit and free throughout the holiday season and every day of the year. Share on X
- Drink water – Drinking water keeps excessive feelings of hunger away and helps your body continue its natural means of detox. If you’re going to have a cocktail or two, consider adding a glass of water between them.
So, there you have my top 5 holiday strategies to living fit and free and keeping an abundance mindset. If you apply these, you’ll be a lot less likely to end up in the category of people who gain weight over the holidays and start buying into diets, gimmicks, and quick fixes on January 1!
I hope you have the most fun-filled, thanks-filled, and love-filled day!
Note: If you are ready to start transforming your body and your mind before the New Year (and seriously, why would you postpone taking care of yourself!?), be sure to check out my book Turn Your Holidays Into Holy-Days: 31 Day Guide to a Happy Healthy December.
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Ephesians 1:16 (NIV)
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