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LenDentonThrive Letter #28

Thriving Through The Holidays

Welcome to the LenDentonThrive Letter! My mission is to help Over-50 Guys lose weight, get fit, and build their own version of the ThriveLife!

The Eating Season

The holiday season is just around the corner. And, with the holidays comes another season…the Eating Season!

Now that Halloween is behind us, it’s time to prepare for the most festive time of the year. For most of us, that means parties and big traditional meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. It’s a time for food, fellowship, and celebration with friends and family.

Eating Season can also be a time when many people set aside their healthy habits and practices in order to fully enjoy the festivities. Then, they re-commit to getting back into shape after the holidays. It’s time, once again, for the annual renewal of that gym membership.

If you’re an Over-50 Guy who’s working to get lighter and leaner, Eating Season can be a challenging time for you. But, it doesn’t have to be that way!

There’s a way to enjoy the fruits of the holidays without wrecking your progress toward your ThriveLife. I call it thriving through the holidays.

Thriving Through The Holidays

The holidays and food are two of my favorite things. I love the big holiday meals. And, I am particularly fond of my wife’s killer Christmas cookies. But, I also care about my ThriveLife and maintaining the health and fitness that it brings. I’m not willing to undo the progress I’ve made.

So, here are 4 things that I’ll be doing again this year that let me enjoy the Eating Season while maintaining my ThriveLife.

#1: Set a Holiday Goal Weight - I weigh myself on the day before Thanksgiving. Whatever that weight is, I set it as my goal weight for the day after New Year’s. This becomes my target throughout the Eating Season.

#2: Feasting Days - I designate 4 days during the holidays as Feasting Days, on which I allow myself to eat whatever delicious food I want. For me, those days are Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. (Your Feasting Days might differ.) On these days, I say yes to my holiday favorites. I try to avoid overeating, but my selection window is open to my holiday favorites.

The days after Feasting Days are Normal Days for me. That means that I’m back to healthy eating and working out on schedule.

#3: Party Responsibly - Parties are a big part of the holidays. They often bring lots of delicious, but unhealthy food, and lots of booze. To minimize the downside impacts of holiday partying, here are a couple of things I do:

1. I never go to the party hungry. I’ll eat a healthy meal before the party. Then, I will lightly snack on the party foods.

2. I drink responsibly. I might have one or two drinks, then switch to a club soda or non-alcoholic beer if available.

(Note: If you are planning to throw or attend a particularly lavish party, you might consider making that one of your Feasting Days.)

#4: Keep Moving - Throughout the holidays, I focus on staying active with my workouts. I maintain my workout schedule, even on Feasting Days. This helps me recover from Feasting Days more quickly and reinforces my commitment to hitting my holiday goal weight.

In Closing

I hope the holidays are a happy time for you and the ones that you love. And, I hope that these four tips on thriving through the holidays will help you to get the most enjoyment out of the upcoming festive season while maintaining your progress toward your ThriveLife!

Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!

Thanks for your time and attention. Have a great weekend. See you next Saturday.

Thrive & Prosper,

Len

I write this newsletter hoping to make a positive impact on the lives of Over-50 Guys and and their families. If you found this information useful, please consider subscribing to receive new editions each week.

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