It’s the day after Christmas. You’ve probably eaten a LOT over the past few weeks. Your favorite pants may be pinching a little, and you may be entering mirror-avoidance mode.
Now, tell me. All those articles that advised you to eat a healthy snack before heading out to holiday shindigs. Did those prevent you from stuffing yourself with canapes? How about the ones that gave you fitness advice for shedding the post-Christmas pounds. Are those inspiring you to hit the gym, HARD? Or does all that stuff just make you feel worse about chowing down on food you love for a few short weeks? Let’s try this instead.
Here is your mantra in the aftermath of holiday overindulgence:
I will not give up, but I will not beat myself up.
It is PERFECTLY NATURAL for you to gain weight over the holidays. If you live in the northern hemi, it is also perfectly natural for you to pack on a few just because it’s cold! Do not decide that you are a terrible human just because you had three helpings of figgy pudding, and do not descend into depression just because you allowed yourself some food-related fun.
What you need to do now is this:
1. Cut yourself some slack
2. Reign in the celebratory eating
3. Return to healthy habits of consumption and exercise
If you want to step up your fitness routine or cut your calorie intake to ensure pants fittage sooner, go for it. But keep #1 in mind as you do it. I do not believe in guilt as a healthy motivator for positive personal action, and I absolutely COMMAND you to undertake any post-holiday body evaluations with a judgment-free mind and a clear conscience.
This is the only body you’ve got.
Be kind to it.
Befriend it.
Work with it, not against it.
Care for it tenderly and you will be a much happier person.
(Image via gotplaid?, whose Flickr post includes some insightful, caring, and supportive commentary.)
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
HEY-How did you get that picture of my tummy-LOL!!!! I did over-indulge and I am fine with it-no guilt here-actually it made me sick to death of sweets and heavy food and craving a salad
:)
Hope you ahd a nice holiday!
Thank you for your very sensible advice – it’s pretty much the idea I have for the next year, to be kind to myself. Happy New Year.
Not sure how it happened but this holiday season I seemed to have a bit of a natural inclination towards moderation. It is nice not to have guilt and self-loathing as a byproduct of the holidays.
Sal, I always love your body acceptance post. This beautiful post is no exception. Really nice stuff.
I ask my people in my classes: “did you eat more than you wanted to?” I follow that with: “Good! I hope it was fun, and who cares anyway! That was yesterday, and now it’s behind you!”
Then we get to work.
I hope no one is punishing him/herself today for having eaten “more than s/he wanted to.”
Perfect timing and content, as usual. I needed your uplift in a bad way. Here in Oregon we’ve been snowed in for nigh on a fortnight ( worst strom in thirthy years and no real infrastructure like plows or sanding to help us get out) and the only real excercise I’ve been getting is chowing down! Sad too the weather made us miss the exciting trip to attend that party wearing the perfect dress you helped me acessorize. Sigh. All the joy and positives of the season outweigh that, though, and thanks to your wise words I can focus on reminding myself that I have a body that can shovel an entire driveway and still feel whole the next day. Thanks, Sal and Happy Holidays!
I’m pretty sure Christmas has set me up for a downhill slope. Almost all of my presents revolved around baking (aprons, silicone muffin pans, big convection toaster oven, kitchenaid mixer) so my family and I had better be prepared for some pretty heavy-duty working out once I start churning out muffins and cookies at a rapid pace
Thank you for this post! I have PMS on top of it all and I’m a bit self loathing right now.
Aw Sal I do love your lovely body acceptance posts.
xx
I’m with you, Christina Lee. After gorging on Sicilian cookies, divinity and those pretzel-Rollo thingies a grilled chicken salad sounds really good.
I want my body to feel STRONG again. Not skinny, STRONG.
Yes, yes, YES!!! This is EXACTLY what I needed to remind myself of — exactly the attitude I need to embrace.
Thank you
But what if I'm into S&M and enjoy the self-flagellation?
this is the first holiday in four years i’ve felt O.K after an over-indulgance. God is good!
Thank you for yet another fantastic inspirational post! I’ve been snowed in for the last few days and polishing off half a box of truffles a day. (I switched to apples because I started to feel a bit ill from sugar overload.) I know once the weather warms up and I’m more active again I’ll leave behind the winter pounds, so I’m not very worried and just enjoying the chocolate.
Wonderful Sal, can you read minds???
Are you talking to me????
Because it seems so.
Yes I’m feeling guilty, yes I’m strugling with my thoughts and all those things that made me have had eating disorders…
But this post is so supportive, showing the exactly attitude I need to embrace.
(Besides my appointement with my nuticionist it’s only in the middle of January)
I love you Sal!!!
xoxo
I haven’t over-indulged too much this season (does eating a whole box of raffaellos in a day count if they’re a meal substitute hehe?) I have plenty of time to walk off those extra pounds I may or may not have put on. Tis the season to be jolly!
I. love. you.
All very good advice. I think I need to print that out and read it every day.
Thanks, lady. I am keeping this in mind.