Temptation: Be Assertive and Stay On Course

Here in the United States we are getting ready for the upcoming Holidays.  On deck is Halloween and the candy, Thanksgiving and the stuffing (I'm not just talking about the stuffing in the bird), Christmas and the celebrating.  I know I have readers from South Korea, United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Canada, South Africa and Denmark, and you have your special Holidays, so please apply this information to your most special days.  

With the upcoming Holiday traditions, temptation to go off your diet is strong.  As you know, I have been on the plan I follow for 13 months now.  In that year's time, I didn't go off plan on the Holidays.  I stayed strong and stayed on plan throughout the celebratory days.  I made it a point to do so.  In this blog entry, I 'll talk about strategies to stay on plan during our special days.  (I will admit to you that this year I turned 50 and I did "celebrate" abundantly on my big day!!!)  My only "cheat" in 13 months!  I forgave myself and moved on.

I learned if we choose to stay on plan during the Holidays these are good skills work with:

Assertiveness:  Remember the saying?   "Just say no."  You have to be able to assert yourself.  It's hard enough to say no to yourself, let alone family members who are not on plan.  The Holidays are so emotional too, so be strong.  Say no nicely, let people know you are on a diet.  Believe me it gets easier with practice.

Alignment:  Work with your healthy choices.  This is an exercise in self control and discipline.  If your diet plan and health means a great deal to you, stay on your course.  Your self esteem will increase when you stick to it.

Courage:  It does take a lot of courage to say no in the face of temptation.  You can do it.  You had the courage to start your diet in the first place, right?

Confidence:  Have the confidence in yourself to be in control.  Have the confidence to know you can get through these times.  You can do it. Tell yourself you can do it.  You are strong! 

I spoke of positive self-talk before.  Keep that dialogue going on with yourself during these times.  Be honest with people and your family, let them know you are making healthy lifestyle choices, even during the Holidays.  Most people are understanding.

Think about how wonderful you will feel if you stay away from temptation, stay in control, and stick to your plan.  I know you can do it. The Holidays are almost here; start practicing now!!!!