Ah – the most wonderful time of the year is beginning! From Thanksgiving to Christmas the average person gains 7-10 pounds. We KNOW this, but we do it anyway. Most people do absolutely nothing to stop it. So why is this?

We tend to use special occasions as an excuse not just to overindulge but to binge. It’s your birthday (or the day after or the week of)? Cake for breakfast becomes perfectly reasonable. Halloween? A dozen mini chocolates? 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. Between the DAY of the holiday itself, the numerous parties, work functions, and so on, many days become a special occasion where we apply the “anything goes rule.”

Aside from Intermittent Fasting (which you’re going to be hearing more from me about) what I’m sharing below are the tools I personally use to enjoy a guilt-free, waistline-friendly holiday season…

1. Approach the big holiday dinners 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.

2. Expect, accept, and embrace over-indulgence – It would be completely unreasonable for me to sit and lecture you on not over-indulging. Especially because I’ll likely be doing it myself! 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’m not going to practice my normal rule of eating to 80% 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!

3. Fill your plate with protein and veggies first, then add tastes of all the other goodies – I’m totally ok with you overdoing these two food groups (see point above). But when you strategically fill your plate with the better stuff, you’re obviously going to be better off. Even a plate of broccoli isn’t good for you when you’re in caloric excess, BUT it’s going to take you much longer and with much more food to reach that point when you maintain focus on protein and veggies with smaller tastes of starchy carb-rich dishes and desserts.

4. 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!

5. Splurge only a handful of times – A holiday is a short period of time…not an entire season, so this bit of advice is two-fold. Plan to splurge only on the actual DAY of the holiday (or whichever day you celebrate) and only once during that day. No need for a full blown excess at every party. Sure, it tastes good, but you’ll feel completely miserable and be working to undo the damage for weeks to come!

So, there you have my top 5 holiday strategies! I promise 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!

Have you ever had the experience of trying NOT to be seen?

Maybe you didn’t speak up when you wanted to, maybe it was trying to make yourself appear physically smaller, maybe it was giving into fear of judgment or being “too opinionated.”

If you can relate to trying to make yourself smaller in some way – from your body to your voice – I’m here to tell you that you SHOULD take up more space in this world!

You are here to be seen and heard, to create impact, and to speak your truth.

When we fail to do these things and show up for what we stand for and against, we inadvertently make ourselves smaller. We diminish our significance, and that, my friend, should never happen.

The world does not benefit from you playing small!

Can you think of a scenario where you made yourself smaller to make things more comfortable for yourself or for others? How would the BIGGER, more powerful version of you react instead? Which would inspire confidence and get better results?

I’d love to hear about what is coming up for you around this concept. Please leave a comment and let me know.

In order to grow, we must be willing to accept change in every area of life. And given that our brains are designed to resist and protect us from change, these choices must be conscious! Pay attention to the reasons “why not” your brain likes to trick you with and make those conscious decisions to accept change and do things differently.

Where are you on a scale of 1-10 in your willingness to accept change?

To determine where you are on the scales, you can consider:

**What are you willing to give up to get what you want?

**What are you willing to spend to get to where you want to be?

**Are you willing to let go of truths you might hold and see things from a different perspective?

The above combined with our willingness to accept change and our willingness to learn make up the Teachability Index.

Here’s the thing…

It’s OK if you’re not 10/10 on both scales! We aren’t going to be there 100% of the time. It’s a place to strive to be because that’s where new levels of success are reached. Bringing consciousness to where you are will allow you to determine the actions you need to take and the ways in which you need to adjust your thoughts to move higher on the Teachability Index, the place that we have tremendous growth.

I’d love to know if you have questions about this or how it resonates.