October has arrived! Along with cooler weather and changing leaves, this time of year brings with it delicious food and beverage treats. On a breezy fall day, who can possibly resist a caramel apple, a Pumpkin Spice Latte, or a slice of warm pie? And don’t forget about the temptation to snack endlessly on bite-sized Halloween candy in the weeks leading up to — and after — the holiday!
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Once Halloween is over, many people throw up their hands and just ‘stop trying’ until January. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and all the other special days are filled with favorite dishes that can feel nearly impossible to resist.
However, if you’re working on your health goals (whether it’s to have more energy, sleep better, lose some body fat, build muscle, or anything else), mindless consumption of fall and winter treats can quickly derail your plans. As the holidays inch nearer, what path do you plan to take? Should you indulge in all of your favorite treats all of the time, maintain a super strict diet and exercise routine, or take a middle-of-the-road approach? Before answering this question, explore my tips for feeling good through the fall and winter.
Set concrete wellness goals (if you haven’t done so already)
Having established goals is a must in all aspects of life. Without a clear target for the things you want to achieve, it is too easy to wander aimlessly. This is especially true when it comes to your health and wellness goals.
If you haven’t done so already, write down your top one or two wellness goals that cover the next three months. Your goals can be anything from limiting sugar consumption for one day per week… to getting an extra hour of sleep every night… to being consistent with your workout routine. There are no right or wrong answers! Select goals that are compatible with your lifestyle, and that suit your individual wants and needs.
When setting your goals, be sure that you are choosing realistic ones. As you know from my previous blogs, balance and moderation is everything. Depriving yourself of your favorite foods and beverages for long periods of time, adopting an extremely restrictive diet, and jumping into intense workouts are not good long-term strategies. Instead, goals that are centered around making gradual and intentional changes set you up for the best chance of success.
Lean into treating yourself
Think that you need to cut out all fun foods and beverages to reach your health and wellness goals? This may bring short-term results, but in the long run, this approach will lead to overindulging, feelings of guilt, and potentially giving up on your goals.
I am a firm believer in treating yourself! Leaning into the occasional indulgence—a few pieces of your favorite Halloween candy, a slice of pie, or a warm mug of mulled wine — is a must for enjoying your food and your life. Adhering to a restrictive diet is not necessary to lose weight, build muscle, and feel your best.
The most effective strategy is to decide when and how you plan to treat yourself each week. When you start to plan, you can easily work any food or beverage item into your diet with no issues. For example, I swap out wine that has sugar added (which is most wines in your local store) for clean-crafted wines without added sugar or sulfites. Being able to successfully incorporate treats into your daily life is also a crucial skill to develop for sustaining healthy habits over the long-term.
Strive to be intentional and mindful with every choice you make
Eating all of the things, all of the time — or alternatively, saying no to all of the delicious fall and winter treats — puts you at risk for seriously regretting your choices come January 1st.
When working with my clients, I always advise taking a balanced approach to all choices. Why? While the nutritional content of your food is key, it is also important to experience life to the fullest. Having fun with your food and indulging in the flavors that bring you joy are just as crucial.
How can you achieve this balance and avoid derailing your goals? Strive to practice both intentionality and mindfulness. Oftentimes, the place that most people get tripped up is in mindless, uncontrolled eating. For example, when at a Mexican restaurant, how easy is it to chow down on an entire basket of chips and salsa without even realizing it? Or how about when you accidentally eat a bag of your favorite snack item while watching your favorite Netflix show? This is where your plans start to go awry!
By being mindful and intentional about what you eat, there is no need to feel guilty or deprive yourself. You are putting yourself in the driver’s seat.
Practice self-compassion
Of course, even the most intentional and mindful of plans isn’t immune to the occasional hiccup. I completely understand, and have been there myself! If you find yourself straying from your plans, practice self-compassion. Shame and guilt don’t serve any purpose in helping you get back on track. Instead, they only throw your mindset into a tailspin, and put you at risk for ditching your goals altogether.
Indulged in a few too many sugary treats? Enjoyed multiple servings of your favorite dish? Forgive yourself and move on. Resist the urge to beat yourself up about it, and simply continue on with your goals at the next meal.
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DAWN MCGEE
Dawn McGee is a certified and licensed Nutrition Evangelist and a long-time foodie, she focuses on both the health and joy of food as fuel for your body. She is a driving force in bringing education on healthy eating to more people through her community, my “Reclaim Your Life, One Bite at a Time” programs, and my book “365 Days of Healthy Living”. Her hope for you is that you live a life you love, without being hungry, feeling deprived, or giving up your glass
