Christmas Eating

It’s hard to eat well over Christmas.

Even if you have good eating habits / systems the rest of the year it’s difficult over Christmas.

I have meals prepared at home in the fridge – it would take me no effort to eat them at all, yet this last week I’ve eaten all sorts instead of them because there’s just so many temptations around.

Tuesday there was homemade Christmas cake (made by a work colleagues wife who quite frankly makes the best cakes ever), Wednesday was a working lunch in restaurant that does a brilliant crab linguine, Thursday was a pizza and chocolates lunch to celebrate a work colleagues birthday followed by a team meal in the evening (think pasta and much alcohol), Friday was a hangover in work and the work Christmas party (free bar), Saturday was hangover food and tomorrow is Christmas Eve (so all meals must be chocolate based as is the law).

In the past I would have felt guilty.  This year I’ve accepted it’s ok.  I eat well most of the time, and I’ve had some decent meals too around the less decent food. I’ve trained when I’ve been able to and let’s face it –it’s a couple of weeks out of 52 (and overall I generally eat alright). I’m not going to be in a calorie deficit, but I’m not in a massive surplus either.

So this year I feel no guilt.

I’m not saying Fuck It let’s go crazy – I’m getting better at ignoring the all or nothing mindset.  If I said that and went mad eating everything I possibly could I’d probably feel regret in the new year.

I’m just saying I won’t feel guilty for enjoying myself over Christmas.

Realistically this is not going to cause a dramatic amount of damage to my weight, certainly nothing that going back to my normal eating habits in January won’t sort almost immediately.

And mindset wise it’s going to be so much healthier for me to not feel guilty for relaxing or like I need to punish myself for it in January.

So should you follow your ‘diet’ over Christmas?  If you want to, yes, if you don’t then no and if you try to and slip up it’s ok.  What isn’t ok is making yourself feel bad for whatever decision you make.