Christmas leftovers

Happy New Year to you all!!!!

Are you glad it’s over and are you pleased to be focusing forward and are you looking forward to continuing/restarting your weight loss journey? Maybe deciding this year to join our meetings!

Let’s all make this the start of a wonderful, in control, healthy, happy and lighter 2022!!

Did you know the average yearly spend for food & drink on Xmas day is £170 just for 1 day. Is that why we have loads left?

If you opened your fridge door what would call your name? Leftover gateaux, Cheesecakes? Assorted cheeses? Knowing the ones that are your particular devils should make it easier to control what you choose to keep, bearing in mind who WILL eat them!! Sadly most of us will end up wearing the leftovers! How much will be up to you!

There has been recent research that has shown exactly why we’re driven to eat when we’re surrounded by tempting, tasty foods (just like those Christmas leftovers). And rather than the traditional view that it’s all down to our willpower/or lack of it – science is now showing us that in fact our brains are hard-wired to respond to these foods – it’s not us being weak or greedy. Learning new behaviors and strategies to combat our past choices put you firmly in the driving seat for 2022

So if we are intending on succeeding with our healthy journey in 2022 then it’s important to manage the environments themselves rather than try to rely on willpower alone, in fact draw on everything we’ve learned about strategies and behaviours.

So thinking about how you start to tackle the Christmas leftovers lurking in cupboards and fridges, it may be worth considering one of these strategies – remove, hide and replace, so which would work for you? Or is there something else you’ve used in the past that has helped? Focusing forward is always a great strategy, especially if you have events/occasions and holidays planned for 2022-What do you want to look like? Wear? Feel? Visualising it also works incredibly well, so maybe a photo? An item of clothing perhaps? Find what works for you and use it regularly.

So how can we deal with it and still be on track for a weight loss if none of these works for you?

We need to look for ways to build it in rather than reasons why we can’t enjoy it and stay in control, the real beauty of healthy eating is you can always look at how to comprise your eating throughout your day.

This week it’s far more important to focus on taking back control and rebuilding the routines we know will give us a fabulous start to 2022

If we look at changes we can make in our home environment to regain control of our eating habits as well as tactics and routines which will help us throughout the year not just this week

If you spent five minutes ( that’s 300 seconds) every day this week reclaiming control of your fridge or cupboards consider the difference it would make to your control. Experts in the field of behaviour change recommend investing a little time in making those things you really want to change easier brings better success.

If we used this valuable 300 seconds each day to just focus on what healthy eating looks like and if you have already sorted your fridge or cupboards you are already making positive changes that will promote not only a weight loss, but also increasing your confidence and self esteem and that can only benefit us in our first week of a brand New Year!

If you did that every day this week just focused for 5 minutes every day – that would be 7 positive changes you’ve made! That’s the start of a new routine towards your dream of a happier, healthier and lighter more confident you!

The year that lies ahead is a blank open diary, it’s for you to write your future!! Take control of those leftovers and you will be in a better mindset to deal with the challenges that lie ahead – Start as you meant to continue….

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why it’s we call it the present.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT