Your ThinWithin Life - Handling New Experiences like a Pro by Navigating Social Eating, Vacations, and Restaurant Eating Workshop:
As you’re creating your ThinWithin Life, there are lots of new social and emotional experiences that can trigger eating. After all, most celebrations are around food.
What do you do when going out to dinner and you’re not hungry? How do you say no to food without offending the host? What about parties and holiday eating?
In this workshop, learn how to navigate social eating, travel, meetings, parties, and other events that come up. Show up naturally thin in the face of these experiences.
Session #1:
Setting Win-Win Boundaries to Empower the ThinWithin You
Notes for Session #1
Everyday you navigate social interactions around food. Some situations are easy and supportive. Others make it challenging to make healthy choices that align with your goals. Take a moment to be grateful for all the support you do get.
Now, hunker down and look honestly at the circumstances that get in the way of your success. Not as a victim, of course. Being a victim of circumstances takes away your power.
If you can make a decision in this situation, you empower yourself instead of just going along with everyone else, being a “YES” person.
Instead of going with the flow, be an advocate for your needs, your hunger-levels, and the “future you” that you are becoming.
Choose how you want to be treated and find WIN-WIN solutions to the issues in loving collaboration with your family and friends.
Open the worksheet above and work through the smallest, most doable circumstance you can think of to get started. Do not overwhelm yourself or others by trying to change everything at once.
Let’s get real and honest about how it could be. Don’t cut out eating out or fun foods if you still want them. Find away that feels more balanced to you and your family or friends.
- Only go out to eat when you are hungry.
- Choose restaurants that have food that works for your body.
- Switch from a regular fryer to an air fryer.
Find solutions that work for everyone affected, seeking assistance.
“I am asking for some love and support with my goals”
Asking for what you need is vulnerable if you want to keep the friendship. However, this vulnerability can lead to more intimacy. The more you share about your true needs, the more you open up to others as your authentic self, the deeper the relationship can become. And the more you can be your authentic self.
Action Steps for Session 1:
NOVICE LEVEL – Complete the Setting Boundaries for Your Health worksheet. Spend some time this week noticing the interactions you have. Be grateful for how people are supporting you. Take note of what is getting in the way of your success.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL- Do the novice level assignment from above and choose one interaction that you would like to be different. Discuss this new boundary in a loving, collaborative way with the people involved. Review the videos for wording if you need assistance. If you slip with what you said you would do, reset and continue to practice this boundary. It’s a new habit, it might take time.
ADVANCED LEVEL – Do the assignments above and consider a second boundary to work through. However, be kind and gentle with yourself and your family or friend as you learn to make boundaries in a sincere and loving way.
Report into your accountability group or on Friday’s Check-In post to let everyone know how you did.
Session #2:
A Five Step Plan for Successful Social Eating
Notes for Session #2
What would it mean to you to lose 5, 10, 15, or 30 lbs in the next 6 months?
Do you want to be that person, that thinner, healthier, more vibrant you?
Imagine yourself already there. Show up as the person who weighs less.
Show up to the next social engagement as the person who already lost those pounds (or kilos).
Be her!
Open up the worksheet for this class and work through these
5-Steps to Handling Restaurant and Social Eating Like a Pro:
- Identify the major obstacle area(s).
- Become aware of the programmed conversation that plays out into actions.
- Create Thought Pattern Interrupts
- Method #1: The Dial Method – Imagine turning the volume of your thoughts up and down like a dial. Use a different voice or tone so you can more easily interrupt the habitual thinking and response.
- Method #2: Stop and Interrupt Method – Hear the thought and you immediately imagine a stop sign, then stop it and interrupt your thought with a truth that feels authentic to you.
- Practice restaurant and social eating
- Reflect on what went well, celebrate that, and note what you’d still like to practice!
Action Steps for Session 2:
NOVICE LEVEL – If boundaries are where you need to concentrate your energy, continue with observing what is unbalanced or choose one interaction that you would like to be different. Discuss this new boundary in a loving, collaborative way with the people involved. Review the video from session #1 for wording if you need assistance. If you slip with what you said you would do in your boundary conversation, reset and continue to practice this boundary.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL- If you are ready to move on to Restaurant and Social Eating, do the worksheet above and listen to the audio at the end of session #2 at least 2 times this week, especially before a social encounter.
ADVANCED LEVEL – Do the assignments above and either spend a few minutes each morning imagining yourself lighter and fitting into the outfit you have been excited about putting on. In your mind, practice showing up to social outings as this healthier you. If you would prefer to write, you can use the Morning Journaling for Intentional Weight Loss.
Report into your accountability group or on Friday’s Check-In post to let everyone know how you did.
Session #3:
Honoring Your Body While Traveling
Notes for Session #3
You can have an amazing time seeing the world and keep heading toward the goals you have for your body. Traveling is just another opportunity to PROVE to yourself that you can be on vacation, have fun, and continue practicing eating until your body is satisfied or before you are full.
When you go on vacation, you’re out of your normal routine; it’s the perfect opportunity to experience the life you’ve been craving and dreaming of.
So, you have your current self and vacation self. If you find yourself struggling when on vacation, seeing family, etc, it’s because your vacation self thinks things are harder on vacation, more difficult, more enticing, and harder to plan or eat because you might be going out a lot.
But what if going out of town or going on vacation was easy?
What if you could be just as connected to your body as when you are at home during the week when it comes to food?
You can have a great time without eating everything in front of you.
Practical Tips:
- Always come back, to your vision and what your naturally thin and gorgeous healthy self would do. How would she plan? What does she need to be successful.?
- Be selective in how you choose to indulge on vacation.
- —Forgo breakfast pastries for dessert with dinner.
- —Opt for a lighter drink option
- Expand your enjoyment to include lots of healthy options. Yes, food is lovely but make sure you include hiking, sightseeing, exploration, and events that have nothing to do with food but will enhance your vacation.
- Focus on relaxing and enjoying your time away. Don’t sweat the small details and build in time for soulful nourishing activities you enjoy.
- Savor your meals. The meals you are really excited about, focus on them. Relax and just allow yourself to enjoy them.
- If visiting family and there’s always food around – really make it a priority to check in, and drink water, and this is an amazing time to show your family your new way of being with food.
Food Tips :
Bring snacks on the airplane that will sustain you – Protein bars, kale chips, and beef jerky or Chomps sticks (at Trader Joe’s) are some of my favorites.
- Primal kitchen, Rx bars, Mighty Organic, and Health Warrior are all good options depending on your preference. —I throw a bunch in my purse and a bunch in my suitcase for during the trip and on the plane ride back.
- For an easy hotel meal – go to the grocery for a rotisserie chicken and raw veggies or a salad and Lily’s chocolates or pudding cups for dessert.
- For an easy hotel breakfast – packets of gluten-free organic oatmeal with packets of organic nut butter with some bananas cut up on top are yummy. You can have a ton of packets and that way you get some fiber, protein, and fat.
- For Kids -If there is a fridge in your hotel, get cut-up apples or pre-sliced fruit, berries, cherries, carrots, trail mix, etc.
- For buffets – Survey the food before choosing. Take a small salad plate up to the buffet and find your favorite foods or ones you want to try out. Choose 5. If you don’t like them, immediately stop eating – save those bites for satisfying and delicious foods.
- I always concentrate on protein-packed breakfasts like omelets to sustain my energy longer and keep me going. However, my husband does well with even simple carbs, so know your own body and its needs.
- Share lots of your meals together with vacation mates.
And always…remember who you want to be.
Check in with that vision daily either written or in your imagination.
Action Steps for Session 3:
NOVICE LEVEL – If boundaries are where you are at, continue to find what is unbalanced and discuss one new boundary in a loving, collaborative way with the people involved.
If you are still interested in imagining yourself as a healthier you in social settings, practice in your mind or with the Morning Journaling for Intentional Weight Loss before going to an event and 1-2 times more this week.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL- Pick your top three tips from the list in session 3 and implement them on a vacation you are planning to take soon or simply in your nighttime or weekend plans.
ADVANCED LEVEL – From the list above find three tips that you can use this weekend and another three for your next trip.
Friday’s Check-In post in our private Facebook ThinWithin Life group is a great place to let us know how you did this week. You can also tell your accountability group.
Session #4:
Life Conflicts and Food
Notes for Session #4
Conflicts, pain, external or internal frustrations are all part of being human.
The healthiest version of you is able to be with any conflict that comes up, face it, and move through it in a way that honors your needs.
Whether it’s a fight or just just painful feelings, if you have learned to associate food with love and protection, then it’s your brain’s go-to solution.
Most of the world turns to something to avoid the discomfort. To become the healthiest versions of ourselves and rise above what the average person does, we have to learn to deal with life without turning to a substance or an activity to numb out!
In life, you know that no matter what, you are going to get hit with some challenges, obstacles, and tests. Adversity is part of the journey.
Learning to navigate challenges without turning to food, is the magic of losing weight and becoming the person that you want to be.
When you are triggered, notice your body’s reaction and natural desire to avoid conflict. Then move through this natural desire by sitting with your emotions so you can continue to lose weight
Let me use myself as an example. I am conflict avoidant. If my husband and I are mad at one another, my natural tendency is to avoid him and check out. Also, I have noticed thoughts of having food pops up in my brain as a possible way of soothing myself.
I share this because obviously food will never fix a disagreement if it has nothing to do with hunger.
Although eating can distract you from a difficult situation, the greatest gift to yourself would be to sit with your feelings. The answer to the conflict is there.
When emotions surface, you have an opportunity to go deeper in life, to discover what you actually need. I assure you it is not food.
Instead of acting on the impulse, be with the desire to eat when you are distressed. This one skill will allow you to leave numerous pounds or kilos behind you and embrace your feelings for the beautiful gift they are.
Action Steps for Session 4:
NOVICE LEVEL – If boundaries are where you are at, find what is unbalanced and discuss one new boundary in a loving, collaborative way with the people involved.
If you are still interested in imagining yourself as a healthier you in social settings, practice in your mind or with the Morning Journaling for Intentional Weight Loss before going to an event and 1-2 times more this week.
If you are working on vacations, go through the list from session 3 and implement them.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL- If you are ready to be with the discomfort of your feelings, print out the worksheet Practicing Being With Conflict Without Turning To Food and place them in various areas of your world. Plan to fill out one – three sheets this week. Expect it to be messy, not perfect.
ADVANCED LEVEL – Do the assignments and schedule one sheet before the most difficult time in your day so you can be aware of your emotions before entering that time.
List your successes/ lessons learned on Friday’s Check-In post in our private Facebook ThinWithin Life group and with your accountability group.
Session #5:
Coaching - Sitting With Emotions
Notes for Session #5
This past week I got triggered. Let me share how I got through it so you have a real-life example:
I’ve got this – I can sit with desiring food and not eat.
Wanting is just a thought.
I’ve got this.
Breathing and not giving in to food is going to make me feel really proud of myself.
This is the journey!
Action Steps for Session 5:
NOVICE LEVEL – Work on any of the first 3 sessions’ work:
Session:
- Boundaries
- Eating in Social Settings
- Vacations
You can also use the to help you focus: Morning Journaling for Intentional Weight Loss
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL- If you are ready to be with the discomfort of your feelings, use the worksheet from session #4- Practicing Being With Conflict Without Turning To Food. Fill out one – three sheets this week. Expect it to be messy, not perfect.
ADVANCED LEVEL – Schedule yourself to do one worksheet before the most difficult time in your day, at least 5 days this week, so you can be aware of your emotions before entering that time.
Lus know about your successes/ challenges on Friday’s Check-In post in our private Facebook ThinWithin Life group and with your accountability group.
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