Wednesday, December 9, 2009

'Tis the Season to Be Indulgent...

"The greatest crimes do not arise from a want of feelings for others but from an over-sensibility for ourselves and an over-indulgence to our own desires." -- Edmund Burke, British statesman and philosopher (1729-1797)


Between October and February, there are ample opportunities to indulge. Most of us have to cope with cold weather, which can make taking a day off from exercise especially tempting. You may be socializing and spending more time with family, which can ramp up stress and make it easy to rationalize indulgence. With shopping, decorating, and so on, it's all-too-common to get less sleep, and then compensate with caffeine, carbs, or skipping exercise the next day. And, of course, there's food. Need I say more?

Fortunately, it's not impossible to navigate the holiday season, and still manage your weight. Avoiding indulgence is the component that underpins holiday weight management success--or failure.

I find the most common challenge in understanding indulgence is grasping the idea that indulgence is bad. I once had a student in a class share that he "nurtured" himself by going to a buffet and eating until his pants button literally popped off! Perhaps not surprisingly--but sadly--his comment met with approval from many of his classmates. Over-meeting your needs is just as perilous as under-meeting your needs, but we live in a time when indulgence is not only accepted, but encouraged.

And that's too bad, because although indulgence may make you feel better right now, it doesn't help you feel better in the long run. Weight management is perhaps the best place to clarify this truth. Overeat, and you'll gain weight in short order. And for most of us, gaining weight doesn't make us feel better in the long run.

We'll talk Friday about some specific things you can do to balance out your behavior this holiday season. Until then, I encourage you to pay attention to how you talk to yourself, especially when it comes to your particular areas of challenge. Is your self-talk indulgent? Do you speak to yourself harshly? Or do you bounce back and forth between the two? Post a comment, and let us know!

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