It’s that time of the year again. The holidays are right around the corner!
These special days are such a wonderful time of family, love, and celebration. But not so great for your fasting and weight loss goals.
We tend to go off plan around the holidays so that we can partake in all the yummy foods. Which is fine, as long as we get back on track quickly.
But often the holiday season becomes a major detour. Many of us have a hard time finding our way back. Before we know it, it’s February or March, and we still haven’t gotten back to fasting.
Let’s look at what you can do to make sure that doesn’t happen this year.
Feasting/Fasting Cycle
One way that you can enjoy the feasting during the holiday season is simply to follow the feasting with fasting.
This feasting and fasting cycle is natural to humans. It’s what our hunter/gatherer ancestors did.
They feasted, and then they fasted.
There’s no reason to stop your fasting lifestyle just because you feasted during the holidays. If anything, it’s all the more reason to get back to fasting.
You can hop right back onto a fast. Remember that it’s a natural cycle. Don’t fall into that trap of, “Well, I’ve ruined it now, I might as well just keep eating.”
Start now!
If you’re not already committed, now is the time to get serious with your fasting.
Establishing a consistent fasting schedule well in advance will put you on a more solid ground when the holidays hit. It won’t be as much of a struggle to revert back to it afterwards.
Don’t plan Extended Fasts around this time
If you enjoy Extended Fasting, save it for after the holidays.
Planning an Extended Fast during a time when you know there’s going to be so much food around is a recipe for failure.
After the holidays are over will be the perfect time to do some Extended Fasting!
Don’t beat yourself up!
No guilt trips! No matter what!
I don’t care if you eat every dessert on the table. I don’t care if you go back for seconds. Or thirds.
But whatever you do, do it with purpose. Own it. And enjoy it!
Guilt will only lead to self-sabotage. You will be more likely to stay in the feasting mode and never get back to the fasting.
Science suggests that guilt eating can raise cortisol levels, and lead to compensatory behaviors, such as over exercising or calorie restriction.
You’re not going to ruin anything. You’re not messing anything up. You are not abandoning your goals.
Give yourself some grace. All that is happening is that you are spending precious time with friends and family.
Stay away from the scale for a while
I know some of us are addicted to the scale, but seriously, stay away from it during the holidays.
If you gain weight, it’s mostly going to be water weight anyway, especially if you’re having a lot of carbohydrates.
I suggest not weighing yourself until you’ve been back to fasting for at least a week or so.
If you must weigh, do so with the understanding that weight gain doesn’t necessarily mean fat gain, and that it will come back off once you’re back into your fasting.
Keto or Low Carb
If you fear that you just can’t partake in holiday food without guilt, then try staying Keto throughout the festivities.
Fill your plate with meats and low carb veggies, and skip dessert. Or make your own Keto dessert to share with family and friends.
You can check out our Keto Christmas Survival Guide for more tips!
Enjoy the season!
Remember, this is not forever. You’re not abandoning your fasting goals, you’re just cycling into feasting mode for a bit. Fasting will come soon enough!
Happy holidays!
Author: Roo Black
Roo is a fasting coach with over 5 years of experience. She leads the admin team of the Official Fasting for Weight Loss Facebook group – one of the largest fasting communities on social media with over 125,000 members. We highly recommend this group for anyone who is looking for fasting advice or coaching.
