Welcome to Day 10- Offering you tips and strategies to support your successful weight loss.  By helping you stick to your plan, you will be sure to get to your goal weight!

Many a diet or food plan has been blown up at a family dinner or a big holiday event or birthday party.  These are times we are with the folks closest to us and when our emotions may be heightened.  (This is  your limbic system responding with a fight, flight or freeze response and it may be taking over your pre-frontal cortex, the CEO of your life.)

It could have been a funeral where you were both grieving and annoyed with your family at the same time.

Sometimes, as we discussed in Day 4 about cues and habits, the foundation of your resolve and will power is shaken long before you actually put that extra food into your mouth.

Today we are going to put several of these tools in play to get you through the next holiday or party or event that, in the past, would have caused you to mess up your plan and throw you off kilter. (Day 1 – Create a Plan, Day 7 Excuses; Day 8 Visualizing.)

Let’s face it, you know the event will be stressful.  Make a decision ahead of time, anticipate urges and excuses. 

Create a specific Plan for the Challenging Event

1. Name Event.
2. Who will be in attendance?
3. What will be challenging about this event?
4. What happened at the last similar events that came up and caused you problems?
5. What do you want to happen at this Event? What would the best version of yourself handle this event?
6. How do you think you will justify and excuse your plan?

Plan for the meal and your emotions.

      7.   Food

(Examples: I will eat before arriving.  I will call in advance to be sure there is something for me to eat. I will bring food to share that I can eat. I will plan an exception to my plan and eat what is offered in the quantities on my plan.)

      8.   Emotions

(Examples: If I start to judge everyone around me, I will take 3 deep breaths and imagine I have the capacity to feel these feelings without overeating.  If I start to feel sad or angry, I will relax into the emotion and put my grounding plan in place.

      9.   Ground Yourself

(Examples: Step into restroom, take 3 deep breaths, go for a walk, read your message, breathe in your favorite essential oil, think of someone you love, focus on your feet touching the ground.)

     10.   Create a Message to yourself to read when you feel challenged.

(Examples: "I know you are having a hard time right now and you believe eating everything in sight will feel better..   Remember: Last time you overate, you blew your goal.  You felt really bad about yourself.  You were sick to your stomach. You can choose to feel your emotions and not over eat.  You can choose to see what you love about this person, and allow them to be who they are.  Just because they are saying words, doesn’t mean anything.  You get to choose your reaction." Or you can write down one sentence:  You got this! Just today, I’m not going to eat what’s not my food.  That’s not my food)

VISUALIZE AND IMAGINE YOUR SUCCESS AT THE CHALLENGING EVENT

Visualize each part of this event and see yourself responding as you decide:

·        Review your plan.

·        Re-read your message.

·        Imagine getting dressed.

·        Imagine arriving at the challenging event.

·        The challenging person says hello. You smile.

·        The food you couldn't resist in the past is offered. You say, "No thank you."

·        People repeatedly offer you food and ask what is wrong. You repeatedly and graciously say "No thank you."

·        People are saying lots of words.  You are observing.

·        People are drunk and saying lots of words. You are observing.

·        You are smiling at these people and their words.

·        You are having a great time. 

·        You are sticking to your plan.

Evaluate: 

• How did it go? 
• What worked with this plan? 
• What didn’t work with this plan?
• What did you learn?
• Did you learn something you hadn’t anticipated?