Willpower is more myth than muscle

“Willpower is more myth than muscle. It’s more legend than reality.”

                                                                                       -Judson Brewer

Moms are around food all of the time. We shop for, prepare, and cook food whether we’re hungry or not. Because it’s not just about us. 

There’s breakfast, making lunches, after school snacks, car snacks, general snack packs, dinner, dessert. And if your kids are like ours, there are like 10 times in between all that when they want a snack or something to drink or a treat. 

The thing is, we were chatting and we don’t know about you but we could have cheese and crackers for dinner most nights. But then we still need to feed them...

The holidays make it even harder for us to stay on track with the abundance of cookies, bowls of kisses, advent calendar treats, baked goods being given and received. The classroom party, that cocktail party before the dinner party and then there’s the after party party. All involving eating and drinking. 

With all these options and to do’s it’s easy to relax our healthy habits and feel the not- so-nice effects.

Good news: partaking in the holidays doesn’t require swearing off all your festive faves or watching your waistline expand - use these simple tips and party on!

1. Have a drink (of water) before you head out:

Drinking water before a meal or party helps you eat less Studies show people who drink more water eat on average 200 calories less than those who do not drink before meals! As a bonus, consuming water is great for your skin. You’ll glow with every sip!

2. Visualize:

On the way to the party, visualize “tomorrow morning you.” The key to achieving what you want—whether it’s a healthier body or increased confidence - lies in your ability to visualize it! Use your vision to guide you through the holiday festivities.

3. Crowd Out:

Focus on filling your plate with whole foods, plants and clean proteins first! Rather than take things away (restriction), add more healthy foods in to your diet. If your belly is full of salad and raw veggies, cooked vegetables, and whole grains, then you’re far less likely to over-consume the processed meats, starches, and desserts.

4. Remember Our Three Bite Rule:

Studies show that after three bites, food loses its initial appeal and most of us just keep eating out of habit. The first bite is delicious, the second confirms the first, and with the third your palate has gotten used to the flavor. After the third bite, check in with yourself. What are you needing? More? Less? Drink? Different flavor? V If you have had enough, maybe save the rest and have it later when the first bite is THE BEST again! See? You CAN have your pie....and eat it too! Just not all at once!!

5. Connection:

Share, connect, reconnect and discover. Fuel yourself with conversation and friendship this holiday season, then see what’s left for the hors d'oeuvres plates. When you’re positively connecting with people, your soul is being fed and you’re less likely to over- feed yourself with food.

6. Plate or napkin your food:

This one is pretty simple. Plating your food helps you track how much you’re eating and also helps with portion control. Can you see the color of the plate between the food? Oh, and no stacking!

7. Give yourself a break:

Don’t worry about being perfect, just bring your best game, whatever that means to you in the moment. Relax and enjoy.

So now that you have a solid strategy, get your party on. And if you do get a little too into the spirit of the season, no problem. Get our 24-Hour Mind Body Reset. This simple, repeatable program will guide you step-by-step through a 24-hour reset whenever you need it this holiday season. 

We’ve got you, mama.