Every December I hear a version of the same plan: enjoy Christmas, then go on a proper diet in January. It sounds sensible. In practice, the plan itself often makes the festive season harder, and January harder still.
I first wrote about this several years ago, and it still comes up with many of the people I see at this time of year. Here is what tends to happen, and what you can do instead.
Feasting before the famine
When you tell yourself that January means cutting out the foods you love, part of your mind hears a warning: a lean time is coming. One way to think about it: for much of human history, eating while food was there made sense when a lean time was coming, and part of the mind may still react that way.
So the ‘last chance’ feeling kicks in. The extra mince pie, the second helping, the tin of chocolates on the sofa, all start to feel like things you should have now, because soon you will not be allowed them. The diet has not started yet, and it is already shaping what you eat.
There is a second problem. If dieting feels like sacrifice, it leans heavily on willpower, which tends to run low when life is busy. Many people find their January plan fades within weeks, which then feeds the belief that they are bad at losing weight. In my experience, the strategy is usually the problem, not the person.
Five calm ways through the festive season
None of these are rules. They are small shifts that take the pressure off, so Christmas stays enjoyable and January does not have to be a punishment.
- Drop the January deadline. Decide that looking after yourself is something you do now and keep doing, at a pace that suits you, rather than a hard switch on the first of the month
- Out of sight, out of mind. A lot of eating is triggered simply by seeing food. Put the chocolates in a cupboard, sit away from the buffet, and notice how much less you think about it
- Use ‘not just now, maybe later’. Saying no can feel rude or like a loss. Saying ‘maybe later’ is easier, and it gives you time to decide whether you really want it
- Catch yourself eating in a trance. Eating in front of the television is a classic everyday trance: the hand goes to the bowl and you barely taste a thing. Simply noticing it is the first step to changing it
- Leave the guilt out. If you eat more than you meant to, the past does not decide the future. The next meal is a fresh choice, and guilt tends to lead to more eating, not less
Something to try this week
Next time you sit down with a snack in front of the television, put a small portion in a bowl rather than eating from the packet, and take the first three mouthfuls slowly, really tasting them. You are not trying to eat less. You are just switching the autopilot off for a moment, and seeing what you notice.
Episodes to listen to
If the festive season is where your good intentions usually wobble, these two free sessions are a good place to start.
The Weight Loss Zone Hypnosis for Winter Weight Management
Darker evenings and comfort food make the colder months harder for many people. This session treats winter as a time to practise steady habits rather than a season to write off.
Good if your eating tends to drift from October onwards.
Hypnosis to Lose Weight Without All or Nothing This Year
You picture three versions of yourself a year from now, each taking a different approach, and notice which one you would rather be. It is a calm way to step off the strict start and give up cycle.
Good if every January starts with a big plan that fades by February.
Common questions
Is it better to start a diet before Christmas?
For most people it is better not to think in terms of starting and stopping at all. Small changes you can keep through the festive season tend to last longer than a strict plan that begins on a set date.
Why do I always give up my New Year diet?
Plans built on sacrifice rely on willpower, and willpower runs low when you are tired, stressed or busy. Working on the habits and feelings behind your eating, rather than fighting them, is usually a kinder and more lasting approach.
Please read
Hypnosis works with habits, feelings and attention. It is not medical treatment and does not replace your GP. If you have, or think you may have, an eating disorder, or you are pregnant, diabetic or taking weight-loss medicine, please speak to your GP first. Beat, the UK eating disorder charity, is on 0808 801 0677. The podcast sessions are for adults: listen somewhere comfortable, never while driving.
Where to go from here
Listen on The Hypnotist Podcast
Every session above is free to hear on The Hypnotist Podcast, along with more than 200 other weight and eating episodes.
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