It’s long been understood both by doctors and professionals on a scientific level – and by dieters on an emotional level – that stress can be a powerful trigger for some of us to over-eat.
And there’s no stress quite like holiday stress, am I right?
Between year-end deadlines at work and a growing list of home and personal to-do’s, the holidays are a hustle and bustle of running here and there, finding the best prices on gifts, and baking gluten-free sugar cookies for the school Christmas party.
And doing all of this while maintaining as clear a focus as humanly possible on your own health and weight loss.
Not an easy task. But it is necessary.
Here at Mediplan Diet Services, we get it. We understand that busy schedules often trump our best-laid diet plans and our determination to execute those plans.
We also have a few ideas about how you can combat stress – be it holiday-induced or otherwise – and stay firmly “on the wagon” with your diet.
Identify Your Stressors
All stress is not equal. Not all of us get frantic over baking for a big holiday party. In fact, I’m confident that for some of you reading this, cooking or baking is a creative outlet that goes a long way toward relaxing you. Take a quiet moment to scan through your daily or weekly agenda and determine where the potential problem areas are for you as it relates to stress. It seems like a simple task – and it is. But simply looking ahead and acknowledging and preparing for potential stress inducers will help you be ready to tackle the feelings in a healthier way that reaching for the Oreos.
Peace and Quiet
Once you’ve identified your potential stressors, it’s time to develop strategies to improve your ability to deal with them. And one of the most effective ways to do that is to treat yourself to moments to yourself each day. Here are a few ways to do that:
A Good Night’s Sleep
Sounds easy, right? But we know the truth. Getting more sleep is MUCH easier said than done. But give it a try.
Adjust your schedule so that you can call it a day a little earlier each night. It doesn’t take much. One extra half-hour of sleep each night can do a lot to help you tackle stress and ease your mind.
Three Squares a Day
I and my blogging colleagues here at Mediplan Diet Services have said it many times, but it bears repeating: eat your breakfast!
Skipping meals is just generally a bad idea all around. When your metabolism isn’t firing on all cylinders, you’re simply not ready to handle all that life is throwing at you. Find ways to treat yourself to a healthy breakfast, a light lunch and a sensible dinner each day to keep your metabolism motoring along at an even and efficient pace.
A Little Extra Boost
Vitamin and health supplements can provide the extra energy you need to handle holiday stress. But you may be wary of all those mysterious bottles on the shelf.
We can help.
At Mediplan, we have a selection of tested, proven vitamins and supplements. More importantly, we’ll discuss with you exactly how they work, and why we think they’ll aid in your journey to good health.
For additional ideas on ways to treat yourself and combat holiday – or day-to-day – stress, call us today or click the Schedule an Appointment button at the top of the page.