Kat & Tshepi

Hi There,

Welcome back to the blog, we hope you had a fantastic week. We are now in the middle of December, the middle of world favorite holidays in which there is so much joy, laughter and excitement in the air. This is a time when we celebrate our achievements throughout the year, a time when we also embrace the gift of family and friends, but It is also a time when we embrace uncapped indulgence on food, snacks and drinks, as well as sleeplessness 🙂 . If you are on a weight loss journey, this time can be a nightmare for your goals and progress.

It is widely reported that in the December period, a high rate of weight gain is experienced due to several activities taking place in the so called holiday season. The period between last week of November and second week of January is considered a high risk period for weight gain and obesity. The risks and effects can be closely linked to high calorie foods and drinks being consumed at this time as well as a decline in physical activity. If one imagines the amount of food, snacks, deserts and alcoholic drinks we consume around this time, and how sedentary we become, one realizes that there is no way we cannot gain weight, it is a given.

For us (Kat & Tshepi), we are well aware of the challenges that the festive season poses on our weight loss journey, over the years we have been victims of gaining a lot of weight at this time and had to change our perception in order to see some improvements . Instead of fighting the natural effects of the festive season, we learned to accept them, we learned to accept that we will gain weight, the festive season is really not the time to worry about weight loss . What we now do is to ensure that we minimize the impact of the festive season on our weight loss journey, we do this by maintaining our workout regiments, tracking our calories (even though we know its bad 🙂 ), tracking our weight (at least one weekly scale measurement), choosing low calorie indulgences and alternatives as much as possible.

Information is really powerful, knowing how badly we are doing cautions us , it enables us to reduce our consumption and prevent us from going all the way in. We also discovered that self awareness is crucial at this time, by knowing the type of person you are and how you behave in the festive season can also have an effect on your food consumption pattern. For example, If you are an introverted person, chances are that anxieties will emerge from the realities of social gatherings, celebrations and hype, which can lead to seeking comfort from food and drinks. And if you are extroverted, it is most likely that the exciting social engagements of the festive season will include plenty of food and drinks with unregulated reveling.

If you are on a weight loss journey and are experiencing some challenges (festive season dilemma), here are our tips to help survive the ramifications of the festive season :

• Don’t be overly restrictive on your diet – The mind always strive for the opposite, don’t fight this battle at this time.
• Maintain or increase your physical activities – Keep moving, engage your metabolism, burn a few more calories.
• Stay hydrated – We sometimes mistaken thirst for hunger.
• Use small plates, bowls and glasses.
• Be mindful of how you feel and your eating pattern – Self awareness gives you important information about your eating habits.
• Be aware of the type of food you are eating - Don’t eat blindly, awareness will help with making healthier choices.
• Measure your weight weekly – Know how badly (or good) you are doing.
• Talk about your weight loss journey, this keeps you accountable – Remember, out of sight, out of mind……checking in regularly on this blog also helps your goals 🙂

Our premise on the festive season weight loss challenges is that being restrictive during the festive season can be more harmful than beneficial on your weight loss journey, it is better to accept the realities of indulgence at this time and to be aware of your actions and your response. When we are aware of our actions and behavioral patterns, food consumption in this case, our minds naturally kick start the wheels of self regulation and encourages us to do better, to eat and drink better. We cannot avoid the festive season (and it is something not to be avoided 🙂 ) , but we can control the impact it has on our weight loss journey.

That’s it for this week. Until next time, be mindful and stay blessed.

Kat & Tshepi