Three Reasons To Not Wait Until 2018 To Call Me

Last week, my book “Why Can’t I Stick To My Diet” was launched and on the Red Carpet I was asked a question I often get this time of year “Should I even bother trying to get healthy during the Holidays or wait until after New Years?”.

This isn’t as simple as YES or NO because THE HOLIDAYS are such a big deal to Americans and can take up to 7 weeks of our time when it really doesn’t have to be. I can’t tell you YES or NO also because of the emotional attachment we have to the special Holiday Food, which can be reframed in the spirit of improving our health. I won’t tell you YES or NO because of what I call the “Last Supper mindset” and I want you all to avoid this trap.

Let’s take a closer look at the three reasons why this isn’t as simple as someone might think.

Time Is On Our Side

Do you know the 12 days of Christmas song?Most of us can fake it until the 5th day or so and then all the various gifts sort of run together. Blame it on the lords a leaping and the swans a swimming. So back in the day, Christmas was 12 days and even then people got pretty desperate and started giving out farm animals. Now, Christmas starts in August or at least that is what Costco tells me.

Halloween is usually the first food centered holiday, but it doesn’t go hand in hand with time off of work, families coming together and traveling cross country. Thanksgiving in America means many things. To some it is associated with Football and going to Chicago to see my in laws, to others it is Mom’s signature cornbread stuffing and schlepping into the city to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

No matter what your individual family traditions are, we can all agree the Holidays start Wednesday, November 22nd and will be in full effect until Tuesday, January 2nd when the kids go back to school. This is a day shy of 6 weeks, or 42 days, or 126 meals. That’s right there are 126 meals from Thanksgiving to New Years. They are not all special. A small group will be, the traditional big 5

Thanksgiving
Christmas Eve
Christmas
New Years Eve
New Years

5 out of 126 are the actual big events 3%. Which means 97 are opportunities for regular old ordinary fuel if you take them.

Since I don’t want to be accused of having a heart two sizes too small like the Grinch, I am willing to throw in another 3. They could be used for

Neighbors Annual holiday party
Girlfriends cookie swap brunch
Shopping and lunch in NYC

Given how I don’t want Santa to leave me coal in my stocking, I am willing to add the extra meals. It makes 8 out of 126 or 93% of our meals should be relatively ordinary. NOT dieting or free for all. Please note these are meals. A meal is not a day. A meal has a start and an end time.

For the 93% of the time, all you need to do is follow my Fundamentals Food Plan and you will feel fabulous. (If you need the cheat sheet, email me and I will send it to you.)

Tune in tomorrow for part 2 of 3:

The War Of The Cranberry Sauces