January 05, 2017

10 Tips on keeping your new year’s resolution to “Battle the Holiday Bulge”

Kelly Arnold, APR – Senior Account Executive

It’s the first week of January and you’re back to the grind… you have made your new year’s resolution(s) and are staying on track. Of course it has only been a couple of days, but still, it is important to realize your accomplishments.

And for a lot of us, our main resolution is about losing weight, eating better, working out, etc. A few other goals that are common include reading more, spending more quality time with people we love, and being more efficient at work. These too are important resolutions but usually don’t require too much commitment or conscious effort. But they are important nonetheless. So, let’s get back to the hardest one we all struggle with… losing weight.

Being closer to 50 now than 40, this old dog has fought the “battle of the bulge” year after year and has usually lost. I have gained and lost the same 20 pounds three or four times over recent years. It’s frustrating, most of the time it seems hopeless, and a lot of women around my age can relate.

So picture hitting about January 20-something… you’ve done great for about three weeks on eating better and moving more. But, it’s about 4 o’clock in the afternoon at work; you’ve had a long, drawn-out day full of meetings; you have a few more things you need to finish up for the day, and you have a workout already planned for after work. But someone has brought in leftover cookies in the break room (because they probably are trying to keep their resolution too!). The cookies are calling out your name. Are you able to fight the urge to grab one, or several? Are you confident that you can see the cookies, smell the cookies, and yet still not eat any and stick with your resolution?

I’m no expert by any means and probably more than half of the time I would grab the cookie in the break room, but this time, I won’t. And when I don’t give in, it’s an accomplishment for me. I find peace and happiness in those small victories.

So, if you too struggle with willpower and are constantly “battling the bulge,” here are a few tips I have learned over the years to help you gain at least a few small victories of your own, and keep your resolutions.

1. Stay away from the temptation. If you know there are cookies in the break room, stay at your desk. Find some busy work to help you forget the cookies even exist. Plus, in most offices, if you wait long enough, someone else will have eaten them anyway.
2. If you must leave your desk, don’t walk by the cookies. Out of sight hopefully, means out of mind. Take the long way around to your destination if the cookies are in your path. Plus, you’ll get some extra steps in on your Fitbit too! Bonus!
3. Chew gum. Sugarless gum, of course.
4. Put in earplugs and crank up your favorite tunes to distract you and to brighten your mood. I recommend hokey 80s music or Peaceful Piano playlist on Spotify.
5. Pack extra fruit or a bag of carrots in your lunch sack. A piece of fruit, especially a banana, satisfies your sweet tooth and is a healthy alternative to the cookie.​SIDE NOTE: If you’re going to a special work luncheon or dinner, eat a piece of fruit or another healthy snack beforehand. This will curb your hunger and hopefully cause you to eat less and make healthier choices while at the event.
6. Enlist help from a coworker or friend. If you tell someone close to you that you DON’T want to eat that cookie, you’re more likely to resist the urge. If someone is watching you and holding you accountable, you tend to behave better.
7. Take a walk. Take 30 minutes of your lunch and go for a walk. Find a friend to walk with you. It breaks up your day and will make you feel refreshed. I have found that the days I exercise, I actually eat better and resist more urges.
8. Set small, attainable goals. Instead of saying you want to lose 30 pounds in six months, say you want to lose five pounds in one month. The five pounds in one month seems less overwhelming. Plus, if you lose it, you are more driven to keep going.
9. Reward yourself. No, not with a cookie. Reward yourself with something that won’t derail your efforts. Perhaps you buy yourself a new pair of shoes, a new color of lipstick or download a new song to walk to!
10. And finally, don’t be too hard on yourself. We are all our own biggest critics and shouldn’t be. I have to constantly remind myself that this old dog is pretty great overall, despite the few extra pounds she gained over the holidays… and so are you. Be proud of who you are and all of your small victories.

So, if occasionally the battle defeats you… don’t beat yourself up about it. Life is too short to not eat the cookie every once in a while. Enjoy it, but move on and keep fighting the good fight. Remember, a resolution is not just for the month of January. It’s the entire 2017 so you have 12 months to work on it! Happy New Year to all!

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