Jimmy Moore's '30-In-30' Challenge

Week 14 has arrived in all of its glory with the "30-in-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge and I'll just start off this week with my results from this past week:



So I gained three pounds this week. That's okay, I know the weight will fluctuate as much as 10 pounds as you get closer to your goal. It happens, so you need to learn how to deal with it. The main thing is to NOT let this discourage you on your way to reaching your ultimate goal. You are doing FANTASTIC and I don't want you to ever forget it.

Screw the scale and think about how you feel. Are you happier and feel better than you ever have in your entire life? GOOD! That's the amazing miracle about weight loss that you can't really explain to people who have never gone through it. The freedom from being trapped inside the body of a fat person is overwhelming. Savor the moment.

It's November now and you know what that means--the most challenging time of the year for someone trying to lose weight is here. More diets have bitten the dust in the time between Halloween and New Year's Day than at any other time of the year. Why do we do that to ourselves? We know Thanksgiving and Christmas is coming at the same time every year, so what's the big deal about these holidays that causes us to want to overeat?

I have a few theories about this:

1. The cold weather

We humans seem to have a built-in survival mechanism that attempts to protect our bodies from being harmed. At the first sign of a cool breeze or frost on the ground, it's as if a switch inside of you is turned on and you can't help but eat, eat, and eat some more. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? You just can't seem to feed yourself fast enough and you don't feel bad about it either...not until January 1, that is! Try to be aware of this trigger and resist the tendency to eat when you are not really hungry.

2. The peer pressure

When you get around a group of people at your work or with your family during the holidays, it is inevitable that you will feel an insatiable desire and need to graze on the seemingly endless amounts of food available to you. Your co-worker or uncle will say something like, "Aw, come on, the holidays only come once a year. Go ahead and enjoy yourself!" Let me tell you from firsthand experience, that is one of the biggest lies you will EVER hear. Don't give in just because of peer pressure. You have come to far to unravel all you have done these past few months over an indulgence you'll forget about come January!

3. The lack of focus

Who among us hasn't gotten so caught up in the thrill of the holidays that you feel a bit detached from reality. While it isn't a constant thing, there is at least one time during this time of the year that you forget about your normal routine and you simply reminisce about the days gone by. There's nothing wrong with doing that unless you are in a perpetual state of mind like this. If so, watch out! You are susceptible to experiencing a lack of focus on what you should be doing and opening yourself up for disaster in your weight loss goals.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of theories for why we overeat during the holidays, but it's a good place to start the wheels turning in your own mind about why this happens. If you have anything along these lines you would like to share with us, then please impart your wisdom and experience to this conversation. WE WILL MAKE IT THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS! Don't give up on it and you will feel so incredibly relieved come January when everybody and their momma will be wanting to go on a diet! You'll be one step ahead of them at that point! :P

Talk about YOUR Week 14 and share it with all of us. How's it going?

Labels: 30-in-30, challenge, Christmas, Halloween, holidays, low-carb, temptation, Thanksgiving, weight loss