Holiday Deprivation Leads to Seasonal Disaster

I know that when I am wanting and desirous of a certain thing that rules every impulsive and indulgent cell in my body…whether it be sugar or that extra glass of vin rouge, the one that will have you spilling the vin rouge right after your guts, I have to check in with myself and say “self, or rather, Ary, what are you doing? what does your day look like tomorrow? How will you feel soon after? and more importantly, what did you promise yourself to do today?” That’s it! That’s as far as I go with self-discipline talk and guilt these days. During the holiday season and especially around MY family and friends, sticking to your guns is a superhero feat. Family and friends want to LOVE you with treats.
I wasn’t always a superhero around holiday temptations. I used to dance around my sugary weaknesses that clearly proved a no go for me in the form of an inevitable hang over the next day. I used to lie to myself and say “oh, it’s the holidays…you don’t experience the negative side effects because it’s the holidays”.
How did I change that pattern? The hard way! (a) I exhausted from the guilt hangovers and feeling the pressure of holiday binging (b) started to focus on ME by listening to ME and (c) taught my loved ones how to love me without the treats – I took control over all those social pressures.
After a few battle wounds, I realized that depriving myself of those indulgent things I truly desire was exhausting! Deprivation was deeply rooted in an adolescent pattern of rebelling against authority. Society was the authority and I was not having it – Society can’t tell me what to look like, eat or do! I can do anything or nothing at all! Society was not really the culpable here…it was all mea culpa!

Taking responsibility for my desires led me to ask “what does Ary want if she is no longer needing to rebel?” The answer came loud and clear…Ary wants to feel great about how she handles her weaknesses. What were the real weaknesses here? Saying NO to social pressures, family and friends.
Listen guys, we are human! So, yes! We will always be tempted to choose the binge way out of things because it feels good in the moment but guess what? That moment could last you a lifetime of bad habits. Do you REALLY feel good about overindulging? No, I guarantee you do not.
If you tell yourself you cannot have that delicious thing that makes you feel like the holiday candles and the seasonal accouchements that surround most homes, offices and celebrations, YOU WILL!
So, here is my advice, lets cut US some slack and practice moderation by having a little of what you truly desire and relishing in the holiday moment with family and friends. Take the time to talk and laugh and play in between every temptation and every bite. I promise your plate will be full of healthy goodies and not your weaknesses!