Healthy Patterns - Accountability & Goal Setting

About this event

The holidays can be joyous and stressful simultaneously. In the busyness of the holidays, it is easy to lose track of your health related goals. This group is a check in to identify goals and be held accountable. Find Your Anchors Instead of creating rigid rules for social situations, consider choosing a few flexible anchors. For example: Nourishment: I'll try not to arrive at dinner ravenously hungry. Hydration: I'll keep water available while traveling. Movement: I'll find enjoyable opportunities to move rather than trying to maintain my exact exercise routine. Sleep: I'll protect rest where reasonably possible. Body awareness: I'll occasionally check in with hunger, fullness, energy, and comfort. Pleasure: I'll intentionally enjoy foods I genuinely want. Connection: I'll remember that being present with people I care about is also part of my well-being. Anchors aren't rules. They're things we can return to. And when things don't go according to plan... Perhaps the most important skill isn't preventing every episode of emotional eating or overeating. It's learning how to respond afterward. Instead of: “I blew it.” Try: “That was one eating experience. What do I need now?” Maybe you're comfortably full and don't need anything. Maybe you're uncomfortably full and want a gentle walk. Maybe you're thirsty. Maybe you're tired. Maybe you had an absolutely spectacular piece of cake and don't need to conduct a nutritional investigation into the incident. The next meal doesn't need to compensate for the previous one. There is nothing to restart. *** 10 Open-Ended Discussion Questions 1. When you say you got “off the wagon” or “off track,” what does that actually mean to you? What rules do you believe you broke? 2. What tends to change most for you during vacations, travel, holidays, or social events: food, movement, sleep, alcohol, stress, routines, or something else? 3. What thoughts come up when you eat differently than you normally would? How do those thoughts affect what happens next? 4. Have you ever restricted food before a party, dinner, or vacation because you knew you would be eating more later? What effect did that have on your hunger and eating once you arrived? 5. What foods do you give yourself more permission to eat on vacation or at social events? What might that tell you about the rules you have around those foods at home? 6. How can you honor hunger and fullness while also allowing room for pleasure, celebration, culture, and connection? 7. What are two or three flexible “health anchors” you would like to take with you when your normal routine changes? 8. How do other people's comments about food, dieting, weight, or “being good” affect you in social situations? How might you respond or protect yourself? 9. Imagine returning from a vacation where you ate differently, exercised less, and enjoyed yourself. What would your inner critic say? What could your inner coach say instead? 10. What would vacations and social events feel like if your goal weren't to “stay on track,” but to remain connected to yourself while fully participating in your life? Note & Disclaimer: This is not a weight loss group, however, weight changes may occur naturally when we address emotional eating. We hold a body-positive approach, committed to health at every size! This is solely a support group, not intended to provide or replace medical advice or professional mental health therapy. The host is not responsible for your mental health and by entering our meetings you accept this responsibility.