Beat Those Holiday Dieting Blues: Get Back on Track With Weight Loss


Time to get over the holiday season and get back on track

Do you feel like you’re still in a Christmas slump? You think the New Year is the perfect time to get back on track with dieting, but it’s so hard.

The holiday dieting blues are definitely here. You’re so used to the overindulgence that you can’t stop yourself when it comes to those chocolates, candy, or naughty treats. I understand your pain and I was right there with you until the 4th of the month. That was my turning point.

If you’re still struggling, here are some tips to get back on track with weight loss and beat those holiday dieting blues.

Weigh Yourself!

Be honest with yourself and find out what damage has been done. If you keep telling yourself “one more week” or “I’ll do it tomorrow,” you will just keep eating poorly and do further damage to your weight loss.

I got weighed on the 4th January. I made a change to my weigh-in day (for various reasons) and decided that it was time to be honest. It was the earliest opportunity that I could get back to a class, and I’m really glad I did. I tried to weight myself at home but the Wii Fit isn’t that reliable (it told me I’d lost 8lbs!).

Don’t delay and pull out those scales today—or get back to your weight loss class (whatever plan you follow).

Start as You Mean to Go On

There’s no time like the present to start tracking what you’re eating. Even if you haven’t weighed yourself and can’t because your class isn’t for another couple of days, starting right now will really help.

Be honest while you track. Write down everything, just like you did last year. You know it works, so why doubt that it’s going to help you with the holiday dieting blues? It’s going to be hard to start with, but once you get back into the habit you will find it easier.

Get the Healthy Food Back In

You’ve probably gotten rid of most the Christmas and New Year treats by now. If you do have any left, it might be worth giving them away or breaking them down into smaller treats that you can enjoy at the end of each day.

Now it’s time to focus on that healthy diet. Go out to the shops and get all the healthier foods back into your fridge and cupboards. If you have the healthy stuff, you’re less likely to want to just grab and snack on the bad stuff like you probably have been doing.

I find that making a plan is the best thing. We tend to plan out the type of meals we’re going to cook each night. It doesn’t always work out but at least we have the ingredients for them—and we’re less likely to spend money on takeaways.

Get Back Into the Exercise Habit

Exercise is great for beating the post holiday blues. In fact, it’s highly recommended by health practitioners. Exercise boosts the happy hormones in the brain, so you don’t feel the slump after the holiday season as much. Of course, it’s also great for your weight loss.

Two to three weeks isn’t enough to get you completely out of practise. However, if you’re new to exercise, start off slow and build it up.

How did you get over the holiday dieting blues? Do you have other tricks that worked for you?

Image credit:  Loren Javier

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