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| Don't wait until Christmas to decide how to handle your low-carb holiday! |
Last Updated: 12/16/2020
With the present year coming to a close, you don't want to allow the upcoming Christmas holiday to sabotage all the work you've put in over the past year.
Instead, it's time to give yourself a high-five and pat on the back for making better, more permanent lifestyle choices.
Dieting isn't an easy chore. It's hard work. So take a moment before November ends and reflect on all you've accomplished so far.
Whether you've lost 5 pounds or 60 over the past few days, weeks, or months, regaining control over your eating habits, improving your health, and evolving into a more active lifestyle is something that will enable you to continue experiencing multiple benefits and successes throughout the coming year.
You'll also be able to bless the lives of others.
However, you don't want to move forward into the Christmas rush and bustle with your eyes closed.
It's fine to acknowledge that the holiday season brings a lot of temptation and stress. There's no reason to go into denial about what the holidays mean emotionally for you, but Christmas parties and last-minute shopping trips are no excuse for overindulging in carbs.
A low-carb lifestyle doesn't get put on hold just because others have chosen to celebrate the end of the year with cookie swaps, candy canes, and grandma's famous fruitcake.
Dieting isn't an easy chore. It's hard work. So take a moment before November ends and reflect on all you've accomplished so far.
Whether you've lost 5 pounds or 60 over the past few days, weeks, or months, regaining control over your eating habits, improving your health, and evolving into a more active lifestyle is something that will enable you to continue experiencing multiple benefits and successes throughout the coming year.
You'll also be able to bless the lives of others.
However, you don't want to move forward into the Christmas rush and bustle with your eyes closed.
It's fine to acknowledge that the holiday season brings a lot of temptation and stress. There's no reason to go into denial about what the holidays mean emotionally for you, but Christmas parties and last-minute shopping trips are no excuse for overindulging in carbs.
A low-carb lifestyle doesn't get put on hold just because others have chosen to celebrate the end of the year with cookie swaps, candy canes, and grandma's famous fruitcake.
Awareness can be used every single day of the year, holiday or not. Paying attention to what's happening right now allows you to make low-carb eating a permanent aspect of your life.
To help you keep your priorities intact, and to prevent the weight gain that is so common come January, I'm going to share with you 5 valuable tips for embracing the Christmas holiday.
To help you keep your priorities intact, and to prevent the weight gain that is so common come January, I'm going to share with you 5 valuable tips for embracing the Christmas holiday.
These particular strategies and ideas can help you avoid the stress and feelings of deprivation that always rob you of the peace and joy that comes from willingly opening your heart.
These 5 tips will take a bit of mindfulness to implement, and you might have to do a bit of self-reflection to see the wisdom in using them, but the rewards they offer will be worth far more than the effort involved.
You won't get anywhere if you go unconscious. And by unconscious, I mean if you allow your holiday environment to make your choices for you.
Before coming to the low-carb table, you probably just did whatever your thoughts and urges told you to do, whether it was to your personal benefit or not. Going along with the flow of what everyone else is doing won't help you stay true to your own beliefs and desires.
If you want to be thin and trim, if your desire is to be healthy, or you want to keep feeling energetic, you have to DO what's required to receive those benefits.
These 5 tips will take a bit of mindfulness to implement, and you might have to do a bit of self-reflection to see the wisdom in using them, but the rewards they offer will be worth far more than the effort involved.
Christmas Tip #1: Stay Aware and Plan Ahead
You won't get anywhere if you go unconscious. And by unconscious, I mean if you allow your holiday environment to make your choices for you.
Before coming to the low-carb table, you probably just did whatever your thoughts and urges told you to do, whether it was to your personal benefit or not. Going along with the flow of what everyone else is doing won't help you stay true to your own beliefs and desires.
If you want to be thin and trim, if your desire is to be healthy, or you want to keep feeling energetic, you have to DO what's required to receive those benefits.
You can't do what you did when you were fat and expect to be your perfect self. It doesn't work that way.
To stay on top of what's going on, and keep your aim in clear vision, you have to pay attention.
When it comes to holidays, parties, and family gatherings, paying attention means planning ahead. Know what the potential pitfalls are that you're likely to face and understand exactly what you intend to do about them.
Don't wait until the day of the Christmas luncheon at work to find out what they plan to serve.
Don't just show up at your family Christmas party and hope for the best.
If you wait until your neighbor leaves that Christmas plate of goodies on your doorstep before you decide what to do with it, you'll probably make a not-so-beneficial choice.
Winging it is always a recipe for disaster. So don't do that.
While there is never one single correct choice, don't let the carby food make the choice for you.
If you overindulge in carbs, you're likely to feel guilty after you do, so if that's your typical response to cheating, then know what you're going to do ahead of time before you face the choice. That way, your inner critic never gets a chance to manifest.
Drill that choice into your head.
Make the response automatic. Do what will bring you the most peace and joy. Avoid what will cause your inner critic to come to the surface and torment you.
Christmas isn't the time to have to do battle with your mind. Save that for another day.
There's a lot to do to get everything done before the big day arrives, but that doesn't mean you can't find a few minutes to meditate or catch your breath. Stress is one of the most damaging things you can do to your body, and it's caused from excitement as easily as it's caused by discouragement.
Surprised?
No matter what those fancy, big-wig magazines tell you about turning stress into excitement, both states release cortisol, and cortisol release during the weight-loss phase of a low-carb diet is bad news.
Believe it or not, getting excited is a negative state because it causes a complex fight-or-flight physical reaction that the body must adapt to if you don't use up all the excess energy created during that excitement.
I learned this when I was doing tons of research on why autistic kids use stimming to try and calm themselves down.
Excitement isn't healthy.
Excitement causes your heart rate to speed up, digestion to slow down, and adrenaline to flow, among other responses. And the result of adrenaline release is always anxiety. The body shakes and squirms to try and use the energy.
Fearing that you won't get everything done before Christmas is even worse because now you've told your mind that you're in trouble.
You don't have faith in yourself to get the job done. Or you've made Christmas tradition itself more important than the people you're trying to love. Don't let the holiday rush overcome common sense.
Sit for a few minutes and just relax. Breathe deeply. Calm your mind. Discover the stillness that can only be found within.
And while you're there, remind your inner critic that it honestly doesn't matter if you don't get everything done before the big day. Trying to live up to the expectations of others, or even your own standards, will only ruin the holiday feeling that you're trying so hard to create.
Christmas isn't about things.
Christmas is about giving of yourself in a loving, meaningful way.
Give yourself a break, and embrace what you're doing with joy and gratitude. It's not about you looking good to others. It's about making others feel good due to what you're doing.
You can't do that if you're a nervous wreck come Christmas Day.
Be grateful for what you've accomplished, and call it good. It's okay if you don't get everything done. No one will know but you.
Another good stress reliever is exercise. If you can't catch yourself before the anxiety starts, then take a few minutes out of your busy day and burn off that nervous energy. This is what autistic people do.
Using up the excess energy can be done in a multitude of ways, such as:
 |
| If there won't be any low-carb food at the office party, you need to know that before you arrive |
When it comes to holidays, parties, and family gatherings, paying attention means planning ahead. Know what the potential pitfalls are that you're likely to face and understand exactly what you intend to do about them.
Don't wait until the day of the Christmas luncheon at work to find out what they plan to serve.
Don't just show up at your family Christmas party and hope for the best.
If you wait until your neighbor leaves that Christmas plate of goodies on your doorstep before you decide what to do with it, you'll probably make a not-so-beneficial choice.
Winging it is always a recipe for disaster. So don't do that.
While there is never one single correct choice, don't let the carby food make the choice for you.
If you overindulge in carbs, you're likely to feel guilty after you do, so if that's your typical response to cheating, then know what you're going to do ahead of time before you face the choice. That way, your inner critic never gets a chance to manifest.
Drill that choice into your head.
Make the response automatic. Do what will bring you the most peace and joy. Avoid what will cause your inner critic to come to the surface and torment you.
Christmas isn't the time to have to do battle with your mind. Save that for another day.
Christmas Tip #2: Take Time Out to Meditate or Catch Your Breath
 |
| It's okay if you don't get everything done. Take 5 -- and catch your breath to energize yourself! |
There's a lot to do to get everything done before the big day arrives, but that doesn't mean you can't find a few minutes to meditate or catch your breath. Stress is one of the most damaging things you can do to your body, and it's caused from excitement as easily as it's caused by discouragement.
Surprised?
No matter what those fancy, big-wig magazines tell you about turning stress into excitement, both states release cortisol, and cortisol release during the weight-loss phase of a low-carb diet is bad news.
Believe it or not, getting excited is a negative state because it causes a complex fight-or-flight physical reaction that the body must adapt to if you don't use up all the excess energy created during that excitement.
I learned this when I was doing tons of research on why autistic kids use stimming to try and calm themselves down.
Excitement isn't healthy.
Excitement causes your heart rate to speed up, digestion to slow down, and adrenaline to flow, among other responses. And the result of adrenaline release is always anxiety. The body shakes and squirms to try and use the energy.
Fearing that you won't get everything done before Christmas is even worse because now you've told your mind that you're in trouble.
You don't have faith in yourself to get the job done. Or you've made Christmas tradition itself more important than the people you're trying to love. Don't let the holiday rush overcome common sense.
Sit for a few minutes and just relax. Breathe deeply. Calm your mind. Discover the stillness that can only be found within.
And while you're there, remind your inner critic that it honestly doesn't matter if you don't get everything done before the big day. Trying to live up to the expectations of others, or even your own standards, will only ruin the holiday feeling that you're trying so hard to create.
Christmas isn't about things.
Christmas is about giving of yourself in a loving, meaningful way.
Give yourself a break, and embrace what you're doing with joy and gratitude. It's not about you looking good to others. It's about making others feel good due to what you're doing.
You can't do that if you're a nervous wreck come Christmas Day.
Be grateful for what you've accomplished, and call it good. It's okay if you don't get everything done. No one will know but you.
Christmas Tip #3: Don't Skimp on Exercise and Activity
 |
| Christmas is not an excuse to ignore your exercise routine -- find the time! |
Another good stress reliever is exercise. If you can't catch yourself before the anxiety starts, then take a few minutes out of your busy day and burn off that nervous energy. This is what autistic people do.
Using up the excess energy can be done in a multitude of ways, such as:
- daily exercise
- walking
- visiting the gym
- lifting weights
- moving around in between that huge stack of Christmas cards
The idiopathic aches and pains you feel due to anxiety actually come from the body's need to figure out what to do with that horde of excess energy. The discomfort doesn't always show up right away, so it can be difficult to make the connection between inflammation and anxiety.
The body waits to see if you're going to use all of that anxious energy, and if you don't, then it will have to figure out what to do with it.
Storing excess anxiety as fat, rather than upping your metabolism to take care of the imbalance, is the last thing you want to happen, so it's wiser to be assertive and exercise away the stress and anxiety, rather than allowing it to go to your belly.
Don't wait to exercise. All of those aches and pains from anxiety will just make the holiday more miserable.
You don't want to feel let down, washed out, and achy once Christmas Day arrives. You want to be able to enjoy yourself, so take the initiative now and keep up with your exercise routine.
Christmas is no excuse for neglecting exercise. It's not negotiable on Atkins.
Remember?
You could even do a bit of preventative work, if you like. Try adding a bit more activity to your day to cover any extra stress you might have missed. Use up that glucose before your insulin has a chance to spike!
I'm not talking about trying to squeeze in an extra hour at the gym. That's not realistic.
I'm talking about parking a little bit further away from the store, taking the stairs at work instead of using the elevator, or keeping up with your household chores.
Maybe take the kids to the park for half an hour, or get up and move around during television commercials while the family is watching their favorite Christmas show.
The idea is to find ways to keep your blood glucose level steady and the best way to do that after-the-fact is through upping your exercise and activity.
No, I'm not being a party-pooper here. The Holidays are meant to be enjoyed, and some people like to have a drink now and then, especially at holiday parties.
Alcohol doesn't contain carbs, but alcohol does put the state of ketosis on hold, so you need to be aware of that fact and clearly understand what this means.
The body perceives alcohol to be poisonous and will oxidize it first, even before glucose.
This means that everything you eat along with the alcohol you consume will be immediately stored in your fat cells because the body's total attention will be on getting rid of the alcohol.
Low-carb dieters have to be especially careful when they consume alcohol because all of those luxurious dietary fats you're used to eating will go straight to your fat cells and won't be used by the body until after the alcohol is gone.
To help the body process alcohol more quickly, make sure that you don't skimp on your water intake. It's also a good idea to cut down on your dietary fats if you know ahead of time that you're going to have a couple of drinks at a party or special meal.
Be responsible when you drink.
Know and accept the consequences -- that your ketone testing strips will stop working temporarily because the body will stop making ketones for awhile.
This doesn't mean you are no longer "in" ketosis.
It just means that you won't make ketones until after every single molecule of alcohol has been oxidized.
Only then, will the state of ketosis resume.
So just expect it to happen.
Don't become anxious over it. Accept it as inevitable. Your low-carb diet is fine. You're not doing anything wrong.
However, if you drink too much, too often, you can cause a serious weight-loss stall, so you'll need to pick and choose when to put your dieting efforts on hold and when it's not worth the consequences.
For example, you might forego your traditional wine at dinner in order to indulge at the staff party later in the week.
For further information, see our post on how alcohol affects your low-carb diet.
Attitude is everything.
No matter what you're doing, your attitude is what sets your tone and mood.
It sets up your mindset to think in a certain way.
And how you think controls how you feel.
All healthy lifestyle choices, and all emotional responses to your environment, begin in the mind. If you feel deprived because you can't indulge in carbs, that isn't because of the holidays.
It's because of the way you think.
You've decided that you're a victim of your environment.
You've decided that your environment is mistreating you because you can't eat chocolate fudge and Christmas cookies and grandma's once-in-a-lifetime fruitcake like everyone else can.
You can't eat what you want to.
You can't enjoy the holiday because you can't have what everyone else is eating.
This is how you feel, but that thought process is destructive because you are not a victim. You are free to eat those carby foods if that's what you value.
And it is YOU who determines what you value.
So whatever you do, at the moment you do it, you do it because that act is more important to you -- right then -- than anything else.
If you cheat . . .
It's not because the food forced you to eat it. It's not because your family or friends tempted you.
The temptation to do something destructive to your goals actually came from your mind.
You simply gave into the urge to be destructive.
This is why staying conscious of what you're doing and staying on top of your attitude and value-base is essential to living joyfully.
Staying aware of what you really want and being willing to pay the price for those desires enables you to develop the self-discipline and will it takes to make it happen.
If others make fun of you because you aren't eating at the party, so what?
Do the false beliefs of your friends and family matter more to you than doing the right thing?
Is it more important to please other people, so they won't make you feel uncomfortable, than it is to suffer from the guilt you know you're going to feel if you cave into the temptation?
You honestly lose more than once by allowing your environment to make your choices for you.
1) You lose by pleasing others when you really don't want to; and
2) You lose by triggering the inner critic to come out and blast you a good one once the party is over and your justifications for overeating begin to break down.
So decide what you really want to do.
Don't let others choose for you.
If eating that holiday cookie is worth the consequences, because Christmas cookies are only available once a year, then fine.
Eat the cookie.
In fact, go ahead and eat two.
Eat them with joy and thanksgiving and gratitude.
Just don't eat them out of the fear of what might happen if you don't. Don't eat them to keep the peace or avoid an argument or escape ridicule.
Eat them because you want to.
Eat them because they are your number one value at that moment.
The real problem isn't those carby cookies.
The real problem is that you're in conflict with yourself:
1) You want to please others, to avoid being disturbed, but . . .
2) You also don't want to please others because you want to stay true to your low-carb diet.
Either way, you lose.
Both choices bring misery and pain.
But it's like that sometimes. Life isn't pain-free. The nature of life is challenge, so the misery and pain you feel when others don't accept you for what you are is a figment of your imagination.
You choose how you respond to the ridicule of others, as well as how you feel about what's going on.
If you feel inferior, it's because you choose to feel inferior.
So stay on top of your attitude. Stay on top of your values. Stay on top of what you really want.
Above all, don't forget what Christmas is really about.
Christmas isn't all about you.
The pain and misery you feel because you can't eat the chocolate fudge or pecan pie and, therefore, feel deprived is because you have turned so far inward that you can no longer see what's in your best interest to do.
Instead of opening your heart and radiating loving kindness and generosity to others, it's:
ME, ME, ME.
Just me.
So how do we change that attitude?
Don't forget that to change the world you have to be the change that you want to see in others.
Instead of sitting around sulking and feeling deprived:
Maybe take the kids to the park for half an hour, or get up and move around during television commercials while the family is watching their favorite Christmas show.
The idea is to find ways to keep your blood glucose level steady and the best way to do that after-the-fact is through upping your exercise and activity.
Christmas Tip #4: Watch Your Alcohol Consumption
 |
| Alcohol increases its effect due to low carb's dehydrating nature. |
No, I'm not being a party-pooper here. The Holidays are meant to be enjoyed, and some people like to have a drink now and then, especially at holiday parties.
Alcohol doesn't contain carbs, but alcohol does put the state of ketosis on hold, so you need to be aware of that fact and clearly understand what this means.
The body perceives alcohol to be poisonous and will oxidize it first, even before glucose.
This means that everything you eat along with the alcohol you consume will be immediately stored in your fat cells because the body's total attention will be on getting rid of the alcohol.
Low-carb dieters have to be especially careful when they consume alcohol because all of those luxurious dietary fats you're used to eating will go straight to your fat cells and won't be used by the body until after the alcohol is gone.
To help the body process alcohol more quickly, make sure that you don't skimp on your water intake. It's also a good idea to cut down on your dietary fats if you know ahead of time that you're going to have a couple of drinks at a party or special meal.
Be responsible when you drink.
Know and accept the consequences -- that your ketone testing strips will stop working temporarily because the body will stop making ketones for awhile.
This doesn't mean you are no longer "in" ketosis.
It just means that you won't make ketones until after every single molecule of alcohol has been oxidized.
Only then, will the state of ketosis resume.
So just expect it to happen.
Don't become anxious over it. Accept it as inevitable. Your low-carb diet is fine. You're not doing anything wrong.
However, if you drink too much, too often, you can cause a serious weight-loss stall, so you'll need to pick and choose when to put your dieting efforts on hold and when it's not worth the consequences.
For example, you might forego your traditional wine at dinner in order to indulge at the staff party later in the week.
For further information, see our post on how alcohol affects your low-carb diet.
Christmas Tip #5: Stay On Top of Your Attitude and Values
Attitude is everything.
No matter what you're doing, your attitude is what sets your tone and mood.
It sets up your mindset to think in a certain way.
And how you think controls how you feel.
All healthy lifestyle choices, and all emotional responses to your environment, begin in the mind. If you feel deprived because you can't indulge in carbs, that isn't because of the holidays.
It's because of the way you think.
You've decided that you're a victim of your environment.
You've decided that your environment is mistreating you because you can't eat chocolate fudge and Christmas cookies and grandma's once-in-a-lifetime fruitcake like everyone else can.
You can't eat what you want to.
You can't enjoy the holiday because you can't have what everyone else is eating.
This is how you feel, but that thought process is destructive because you are not a victim. You are free to eat those carby foods if that's what you value.
And it is YOU who determines what you value.
So whatever you do, at the moment you do it, you do it because that act is more important to you -- right then -- than anything else.
If you cheat . . .
It's not because the food forced you to eat it. It's not because your family or friends tempted you.
The temptation to do something destructive to your goals actually came from your mind.
You simply gave into the urge to be destructive.
This is why staying conscious of what you're doing and staying on top of your attitude and value-base is essential to living joyfully.
Staying aware of what you really want and being willing to pay the price for those desires enables you to develop the self-discipline and will it takes to make it happen.
If others make fun of you because you aren't eating at the party, so what?
Do the false beliefs of your friends and family matter more to you than doing the right thing?
Is it more important to please other people, so they won't make you feel uncomfortable, than it is to suffer from the guilt you know you're going to feel if you cave into the temptation?
You honestly lose more than once by allowing your environment to make your choices for you.
1) You lose by pleasing others when you really don't want to; and
2) You lose by triggering the inner critic to come out and blast you a good one once the party is over and your justifications for overeating begin to break down.
So decide what you really want to do.
Don't let others choose for you.
If eating that holiday cookie is worth the consequences, because Christmas cookies are only available once a year, then fine.
Eat the cookie.
In fact, go ahead and eat two.
Eat them with joy and thanksgiving and gratitude.
Just don't eat them out of the fear of what might happen if you don't. Don't eat them to keep the peace or avoid an argument or escape ridicule.
Eat them because you want to.
Eat them because they are your number one value at that moment.
The real problem isn't those carby cookies.
The real problem is that you're in conflict with yourself:
1) You want to please others, to avoid being disturbed, but . . .
2) You also don't want to please others because you want to stay true to your low-carb diet.
Either way, you lose.
Both choices bring misery and pain.
But it's like that sometimes. Life isn't pain-free. The nature of life is challenge, so the misery and pain you feel when others don't accept you for what you are is a figment of your imagination.
You choose how you respond to the ridicule of others, as well as how you feel about what's going on.
If you feel inferior, it's because you choose to feel inferior.
So stay on top of your attitude. Stay on top of your values. Stay on top of what you really want.
Don't Forget What Christmas is All About
 |
| Remember that Christmas is not all about YOU. |
Above all, don't forget what Christmas is really about.
Christmas isn't all about you.
The pain and misery you feel because you can't eat the chocolate fudge or pecan pie and, therefore, feel deprived is because you have turned so far inward that you can no longer see what's in your best interest to do.
- Is it really in your best interest to eat those Christmas goodies?
- Is it really in your best interest to expect others to cater to your dietary choices?
- Is it really in your best interest to demand that the whole world bow down to your needs and serve you?
Instead of opening your heart and radiating loving kindness and generosity to others, it's:
ME, ME, ME.
Just me.
- The only thing that matters is how I feel.
- The only thing that matters is what I can eat.
- The only thing that matters is what I think.
- The only thing that matters is what I get out of it.
So how do we change that attitude?
- Get prepared.
- Get adequate rest.
- Keep active.
- Watch your alcohol intake.
- Be willing to accept the consequences for your attitude and actions.
Don't forget that to change the world you have to be the change that you want to see in others.
Instead of sitting around sulking and feeling deprived:
- Choose to feel joy.
- Choose to feel gratitude for what you have accomplished over the past year.
- Choose to embrace the Christmas holidays with loving kindness and an open heart.
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