If you’re actively focused on slimming down, the arrival of the holidays, and its characteristic overwhelming availability of food, may be justifiably of concern to you.

Combine lots of food, with the stress of family gatherings, and you have the potential recipe to drive anybody into a stress-induced, eating frenzy.

But take a deep breath because there’s no need to worry.

Now that you’re a student of Pleasurable Weight Loss, you’re 10 times more equipped than you’ve ever been, to stay centered and ho-ho-hold the reigns of your holiday experience, steering it in the direction you want it to go.

To focus your energy so that you feel grounded, balanced and at peace with food, during this time period, I’ve put together my top 4 suggestions for you:

Top 4 Tips For a Very Slimming Holiday

1. Be “present.”

During the flurry of cold weather, present buying, social greetings, tree lights and traffic, keeping up the pace while staying centered can be quite a challenge. An important practice to help you relax and enjoy the experience you’re having, no matter what it is, is being present.

Being present means paying attention to what’s going on in your body, your mind and your surroundings. It means being aware of your direct experience of life.

How this applies to eating, is that if you’re present with your body, you’ll notice that it doesn’t feel pleasurable to mindlessly over-eat piles of food on your plate.

When you’re aware and present, you get more enjoyment from reaching for both the quality and quantity of food your body really wants to eat to feel its best.

Here’s one of my favorite centering practices that’ll help you become more present:
– Close your eyes. Open them, slowly.
– Take a deep breath.
– Check in with your body, thinking of it as an “other,” someone you can listen to and communicate with, asking, “what do you need?”

This will bring you into presence with the living, breathing part of you, the part you must learn to be present with, if ever you are going to solve the puzzle of food and weight forever. Otherwise said, being present with your body is not optional.

2. Schedule a 100% “you” activity.

This one’s probably going to seem very challenging, especially if you’ve overbooked your holiday schedule. But remember, in the spirit of putting your own oxygen mask first, if you neglect your own self-care, in the end, everyone suffers.

Otherwise said, so you can give and be charitable, give service, the most important responsibility you have, in this season or in, is for the quality of what I call your “primary relationship,” the relationship you have between your mind and your body.

When your primary relationship is good, every other challenge in life seems manageable. And like any other relationship, it takes quality time to nurture a great relationship.
Take that quality time with yourself, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. Write in your journal, stretch, sing, admire a beautiful tree.

Let yourself feel the subtle under-current of pleasure that is the baseline feeling of being alive. Allow yourself to fill up with pleasure, satisfaction and peace.

In doing so, you put your body in the relaxation mode. This means you’ll be digesting all your holiday treats optimally, building muscle and releasing extra fat, simply because your metabolism has gotten the physiological message of: relax, let go!

Don’t let your holiday happen without making time to check in with, nourish and have some fun with your wonderful self.

3. Move it, merrily. 

Move it, sister! Move your entire body. There are dozens of yoga studios, dance studios and parks that are open during the holidays, even on Christmas Day. Go ahead and take your dog for an extra peppy walk. She or he will definitely appreciate it, as will your metabolism!

Moving your body, especially when done with enthusiasm, increases circulation, and increased circulation gives your metabolism a jump-start. Jump-starting your metabolism, especially before your holidays demands start calling on you, means your brilliant female body will get the message that performing “her” physiological slimming functions are the top priority for the day. Now that’s a merry fact that should get your tail moving!

Remember, make time for you and your body before your “to-do’s” get a hold of you.

4. Focus on the positive.

It’s easy to be triggered by the behavior of family members, traumatized by the news, or stressed out by what’s expected of you, and if you’re looking for them, you’re going to find plenty of extremely valid seeming reasons to complain.

The strategy that will give you the most gratification, however, is to focus your experience of he exact same circumstances, with the where you are seeking the positive.

It’s not always obvious how to put a positive spin on what feels like a negative situation. And to be clear, this is not about sugar-coating the truth. Focusing on the positive is about encountering the world through a lens of wonder, humor, curiosity, playfulness, and most importantly, compassion. If you allow the qualities to guide your experience, even the nuttiest, unhealthiest, all-day family affair, can end up being another entertaining story in the book of your life and not an occasion for stress or over-eating.

When you’re focused on what you don’t like about your family, you’re slowing down your circulation, digestion and fat burning. But when you can stay light-hearted, even in the face of darkness, when you can find the cosmic joke in the moment, when you can see through bad behavior to a hidden positive intention, in that state of grace and experiencing life as a blessing, your body benefits, and your slimming functions rise to the occasion too.

There you have it, my 4 tips to empower you to enjoy a very slimming and pleasurable Christmas and holiday season.

Season’s Greetings to you, darling!

One of my biggest Christmas wishes is that you’ll remember these top 4 ideas, use them during the holidays and become an expert with them throughout your life.

A sprinkle your magic in the comments section below. I’m curious to ask:

1. Which tip sounds new and exciting for you? Which tip are you experienced at putting into practice?
2. How you will make 100% you time. Is it an extra bubbly bubble bath to Christmas music? Some stretching or yoga at home in candlelight? Shaking your booty as you dance around the tree?  Post it in the comments below.

With jingling bells,

And always lots of love,
xo Jena

P.S. Deck your halls with a program that will rock your life. Please accept my heartfelt invitation to join the earth-shaking, scintillating and incomparable program that is Pleasure Immersion in 2013!

The world is a juicier place with you living in it with your full confidence, radiance and glory. Let me help you get the best body of your life by joining me at this life-changing, weight dropping program. Click here for the shimmering details.