Thursday, 19 December 2013

Stop worrying about Christmas weight! Just listen to your body and enjoy yourself.


As summer approaches, women are told we need to get in shape so we look good in a bikini. As winter arrives, we are told to go easy on the mince pies so that we look good in our party dresses (though we are somehow also persuaded to indulge in said mince pies just so we sign up for the amazing new diets which will no doubt appear in the New Year). The very worst thing we can do is listen to the adverts!

Christmas is a time for family, for relaxation and, of course, for eating. We have more time off, more family meals and plenty of chocolate treats. It’s not surprising then that many women (and men!) put on a bit of weight over the holiday season – but this should not be a reason to panic! For one, there are clear reasons behind it. We eat a lot more chocolate, mince pies and other fatty treats and we don’t often get up from the sofa.

Personally, I couldn’t care less if I gain a bit of weight over the next few weeks. I’ll have fun doing it and in the New Year it will go away of its own accord when I stop eating so much chocolate and so many mince pies and start getting more active again. I’ve done the diet thing and it made me miserable. I lost far too much weight and became massively lethargic. I got colds far more easily and was constantly feeling run-down and in need of a rest.

This holiday season, I just want to enjoy myself with my family and friends, no matter what the adverts tell me about that party dress I simply must squeeze into. A party where I don’t relax or eat anything for fear of someone noticing that I don’t have the world’s flattest stomach doesn’t sound like much fun at all.

The holiday season would be thoroughly miserable if we all panicked at the sight of a mince pie or left half our roast on the plate for fear of calories. Diet book and class sales would no doubt do very well in the New Year but we’d have no fun in the interim. There are healthier alternatives for you to investigate if you’re worried but once the food is made just listen to your body (it will tell you when you’ve had far too many chocolates!) and enjoy yourself!

Maybe get the whole family out for a walk on Christmas Day too…

Happy holidays!

1 comment:

  1. Very well said. If you can't put on a couple of pounds over Xmas, where's the fun?! Hopefully I'll walk it off taking the dog out :o)

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