You’re hearing it all over the place…

…”The average Thanksgiving day calorie consumption is over 7,000 calories!”

…”Your 5k Turkey Trot will only burn off one slice of apple pie!”

…”Want ¼ cup of gravy? That will cost you 50 burpees.”

Instead of worrying about calories and what it’s going to take for you to burn those calories off, I want you to do something totally different.

I want you to accept that Thanksgiving is going to be a day of indulgence.

That’s right. I want you to forget about calories and the stress about eating mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie and allow yourself to enjoy the food and enjoy the day.

You’re probably going to eat things you don’t usually eat- and that might freak you out when you think about breaking your routine and getting outside of what’s normal and comfortable, but instead of fighting it, stressing over it and agonizing over “what if I overeat?” why not just tell yourself going into the day that this is going to be a day of indulgence and it’s totally, completely, 100% fine.

What I’ve found with my clients is, when they give themselves permission to indulge and permission to drop the rules and restrictions around food, they actually end up making better food choices and indulging less. Why? Because the pressure is off and we all know that when we tell ourselves we can’t have something, that something becomes the only thing we want.  So, if you go into Thanksgiving thinking “I can have all the pumpkin pie I want” instead of “I’m going to stay away from all desserts” you’ll have a much better shot at eating (and enjoying) a slice of pie without the guilt because you prepared yourself for it going into the day instead of eating pie and chocolates and cookies and then sneaking that second or third slice of pie later in the night when no one is watching.

This stuff isn’t easy, especially if you’re new to moderation and mindfulness, but it works.  Just remind yourself that yes, there will be temptations, yes, there will be foods that you might typically overindulge on but you are in complete control here. The food doesn’t control you. You control the food you eat.

Use this mindset hack whenever you’re heading into a situation where you feel nervous or worried about the food that will be available to you. Holidays, family parties, office parties- the same guidelines apply- stress less, indulge less. It’s that simple.

Need some help and guidance getting through the holidays?  Go HERE and check out Living Lean Lifestyle Club! We’ve got the support and strategies you need to stay on the straight and narrow throughout the busiest time of the year!