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Hey everyone, it's Mikki here. You're listening to Mini Mikkipedia on a Monday. And today I want to chat about fat loss in the festive season, which is what I based my webinars on last week. Now I know it sort of seems early because we've basically just hit November, but actually time flies. And in around nine weeks, it'll be 2026. And whilst in New Zealand, we don't have a holiday like Thanksgiving,

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sort of draws a line in the sand between normal life, festive season. I know of course for my North American listeners this is something which they grapple with probably from Halloween so you'll be in it now. And again things just tend to add up and become more frequent in terms of social occasions as we progress across the year. And part of it is because everyone wants to ram everything in before we hit Christmas which

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just tends to get super busy. So I wanna chat about some of the habits that can lead people to sort of undo a lot of their hard work across the year and also some effective strategies to help mitigate that. So first of all, how bad is the situation when it comes to weight gain? It's probably not as bad as you might think. Average weight gain across the holiday period might only be about 0.45 kilograms or 450 grams, which,

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the course of about 6 weeks isn't really a lot. However, people who have excess body fat initially are more likely to gain weight during the holidays compared to those that don't. So basically, if you're already struggling with weight gain, this time of year it's even harder to mitigate some of that struggle. Second of all, a lot of our habits and behaviours actually go out the window. So unsurprisingly, those people who had reduced physical activity

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and increased calorie intake during the holiday season are those that tended to have a greater weight gain, which intuitively makes sense, when you see it sort of written out like that really does highlight how important our habits are around this time. And the important thing about weight gain isn't necessarily the amount,

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And for what it's worth in Australia, a recent study found that actually average weight gain is about a kilo. So that earlier number I mentioned was more a review of a lot of studies. And the important thing is though, is that this weight gain isn't reversed over time. So give yourself five years, you might gain anywhere from two and a half to five kilos. And it does accumulate. So to that point, we're not gaining weight and then losing weight. We're gaining weight.

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holding onto that weight and then gaining more weight come next holiday season. That is why getting on top of the weight gain and actually having some strategies is super important. Of course, what puts people into the situation in the first place? So I've got like the five habits that I see, which derail people's best efforts to um maintain their good habits and also some strategies to help combat them. So the first one, which may seem sort of blatantly obvious is

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always saying yes. So a lot of people don't know how to say no and therefore they spread themselves far too thin putting their own goals on the back burner as they're attending social occasions, every Christmas barbecue, winding up things at work, putting to bed, school related commitments for their children, etc. You do not have to attend every end of year party, Christmas drinks, barbecue or catch up with everyone.

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before the end of the year, but we feel like we should. And therefore, sleep, exercise, and downtime, super important, but it's no longer a priority as all of these things crowd out these super important behaviors. And then of course, we are exhausted in the holiday period, and we arrive into 2026, not feeling energized and motivated, but feeling flat and disengaged, which is exactly how you don't want to feel at the end of what should be a holiday.

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So we've got to set you up for success. So first and foremost, you really want to plan. So have a look at your calendar over the next nine weeks for whatever you might have already in place and have a think about the social occasions that are non-negotiables and ones that you can skip and arrange to catch up in the new year. Think about these other activities that are going on in terms of the end of year school commitments. ah

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deadlines with work, other things which require your attention, which might normally not, and how are they gonna fit into your calendar? What can you actually offload and get support for? That's super important. Outside of that though, planning meals, which meals are set in your daily routine, being really organized about this is super important because too often we just leave things to chance or we're not organized, we're not around to plan it during the.

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weekend to having just a really good sort of planning session around meals for the next couple of months can actually be super helpful. And then also for people who are trying to improve their body composition, they've got goals that they want to achieve, it is actually important to have some meals off plan and plan these sort hedonic deviations from your usual meal plan structure. This will allow you to

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attend social occasions with confidence and not feel like you can't go out because there's no food that you can eat at the party or the barbecue or things like that. In addition, it'll stop you from spiraling into this, well, I've blown it all, so I may as well just leave it until, you know, 2026. The other important thing is, again, that priority. Prioritize sleep, prioritize exercise, prioritize some social occasions over others because, again, you do not have to attend all of them.

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Stress management is huge and we don't prioritize this at the best of times. So making time for it, particularly when you need it, is going to be so helpful for you getting through this holiday period without reaching to alcohol or junk food to help sort of soothe a stress state. The downtime where you're not sort of needed or not having to be engaged is really important. And obviously prioritizing protein at your meals is really important to help

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Stabilize blood sugar to help keep you fuller for longer so you're not overeating when it comes to the times that you do eat. And also prioritize being active outside of exercise. It's super easy to get into the mode of thinking, well, I've been to the gym for 20 minutes. I'm good for the day. However, it's that non-exercise activity is super important to help maintain blood flow, energy levels, caloric expenditure, and all of the things which help determine success.

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for fat loss around this time of year. And just a word on sleep, because it is really important. So sleep loss negatively impacts your blood sugar regulation. So it drives up both stress hormones and insulin, and this sends alarm bells to your brain that tells your liver to dump glucose into your bloodstream in the absence of any food. And this influences not only cravings when we had those blood sugar lows, but also the feedback reward loop in your brain.

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Whereas when you are sleep deprived and you do have something which is pretty tasty and delicious, it tastes even more delicious than what it otherwise would. Of course, when you are tired, this will reduce your drive for exercise and activity. Another really important aspect of it. Sleep loss lowers your defenses around decisions for food and alcohol. So you cannot rely as heavily as you might otherwise on being motivated or willpower.

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You really have to lean on that discipline, which is more challenging when you're sleep deprived. And it absolutely impacts on your mood, which then impacts on your food decisions. So you'll be more likely to seek out opportunities to soothe yourself through food or alcohol. It is super important to prioritize bedtime. And if necessary, can you set a bedtime alarm to get to bed early enough? Because often all of us have this sort of uh wake time, but we often push that

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sleep time, the time to bed, a little bit later to fit things in. So if you can set yourself a bedtime alarm and just, you know, be really clear about your boundaries around this and be consistent with your sleep-wake times to keep your circadian rhythm and your opportunity for good sleep as restored as possible during this time. And when it comes to exercise, this really is about putting yourself first. And often we don't do that and it's the first thing to go.

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Particularly when you typically exercise in the afternoon, now suddenly you have after school concerts, you've got work deadlines or drinks, you've got other social occasions which may take priority for you. if possible, can you get it done earlier in the day? And it's important again to, one, put it in your diary so you're treating it as important as an appointment that you might treat your doctors or your dentists or your lawyers. And also,

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In addition to the structured workouts that you do, it is so important for you to be active across the day. That non-exercise activity is where we burn a lot of calories and it is under emphasized in some areas of our industry whereby people will just go to the gym and then sit down for prolonged periods of time. And what you want is a high energy flux in a high energy environment. So be as active as you can. Don't be crazy, but...

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Because there are more calories going in this time of year, you are protected somewhat by your level of activity. Aim for a minimum of 8,000 steps outside of your workout, if at all possible. And this does mean being deliberate about those steps and it's hard to leave them to chance for a lot of people. And importantly, keep the habit of exercise even if you can't fulfill your usual time commitment. So if you're typically in the gym for an hour, but you had to get to bed late,

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Can you still get to the gym for 20 minutes? So at least you keep that habit because keeping a habit is way easier than trying to pick it up once you've let it go. Another mistake that people can make around this time of year is just that early switch into holiday mode. And this is super easy because we do have a lot of pre-Christmas get togethers and social occasions that tend to bank up well early into November because it feels too hard to organize.

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our life, we often give up too readily on our own goals. And we're not quite sure how to fit our goals, how to layer these on top of all of these social occasions. And we think, well, we'll just wait until the new year, because it's not that far away. However, nine weeks is a significant amount of time to put your own goals on hold. And that weight gain that I talked about over that holiday period is likely to be greater if you're not switched into the good habits that you've already created, or at least

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you start creating them now because it's not too late. So you've got to set yourself some holiday boundaries. That's super important. How do you want to be over this holiday period? Do you want to feel stressed and busy? Do you want to feel resentful or do you want to feel like you're in control of everything and you've got that calm? So setting yourself these boundaries, incorporating your goals around diet and exercise is super important. And then where possible, set yourself up a support system

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that can help in areas which you otherwise wouldn't ask for help. And it might be related to putting on a Christmas barbecue or wrapping gifts or doing uber school drop-offs or anything like that. But getting someone, other people in your household to do stuff that you would otherwise do can help offload you a little bit. And I know it sounds super simple, but a lot of people don't think about it.

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particularly with their teenagers. And remember that your diet goals and your exercise goals, these are a form of self care. And discipline is the highest form of self care. And actually showing up for yourself and putting things in your diary and proving to yourself that you can do them is so important for your overall success here. And a lot of people feel like they don't have the willpower to get through the holiday season without being derailed.

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But actually that comes down to discipline. It's not willpower. People you see who go to the gym, who plan their meals, who make choices when they're out with food and exercise and alcohol, that is less about willpower and more about discipline. And discipline is a learned skill. So have a plan. This is one of the best ways for you, as I've said earlier, to really engineer your environment for success. So...

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Allow yourself to enjoy festive treats in controlled portions. So removing the filling restriction and don't feel deprived if you can't have, you know, three or four different things on the Christmas table at work. Chances are you already know what all of these tastes like. You don't feel very good if you have all four of them anyway, and you're probably not that hungry and they never taste as good as what you think they are. So figure out what you really want, have it and move on. But

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Again, focus on maintaining those healthy habits like staying active, like planning your meals alongside the indulgences. It is really important to practice self-compassion also. So no one is perfect. No one expects you to be perfect either. And it's never what happens in the moment that is the most important thing. It is always what happens next. So don't let that single indulgence derail overall progress. Where possible,

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Can you limit the availability of certain foods in your home environment or keep healthier options on hand to reduce temptation? If you put all of the Christmas treats in an opaque container, a Tupperware container, and put them up on the top shelf of your pantry, they are out of your eyeline. You're less likely to see them every time you go in. You can put them all in one place as well so you don't have Christmas treats in the cupboard under the sink and...

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in the pantry and in the garage. So at every turn you're faced with them. You don't want to have to decide at every turn to turn these down. Make it just one decision. And also some people really do have this sort of perfectionist mindset or a self-sabotage mindset. And so figuring out whether you fall into any of these categories, it can be an important way for you to then set up strategies so you don't go down that rabbit hole. And I'll talk more about them in a minute.

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Now the third habit is what I call the graze phase. And this is when people skip meals for snacks. Chocolate treats, chocolate mince tarts, fruitcake, baking, these can all add significant calories with not a lot of satiety. So what people can end up doing is swapping out their high protein breakfast to the work morning tea. So calorie wise, it might not be overly different in the moment, but the blood sugar crash that comes from eating

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those types of food as you'll go to will come super hard later on. And it makes it more challenging to control your intake, especially because we also, in addition to this, tell ourselves that we've sort of missed a meal, so it's okay to overeat. And these energy dense nutrient poor foods have a lot more calories than what you imagine. So what can help is actually just obviously planning your meals.

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Consider your social occasions for that week around your usual intake and adjust it accordingly. So keep those meals high in protein, high in volume, like vegetable fiber. Make them lower fat and carbohydrate to offset additional calories from those social occasions and prepare what you can in advance. Make protein super convenient. Have salads or vegetables ready to go and use different spices and sauces, which are low calorie to make it interesting and enjoyable.

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Importantly, stick to your usual structure of meals versus snacks because you won't feel deprived if you go into a morning tea already feeling satisfied from breakfast. And sure, you may not be able to eat the four or five things you would have otherwise eaten, but maybe even if you're not hungry, you can pick something and take it with you for later on anyway. And then you can decide whether or not you want it. But if you go into those morning teas feeling super hungry because you skipped breakfast especially,

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you can end up several calories over where you would otherwise be and also just feel pretty rubbish, fairly flat and you might not have a lot of energy. Of course, part of the planning that you can do can also involve something called calorie cycling. And I talked about that a couple of weeks ago on the podcast. And so just to remind you what this means basically is that on some days you eat less and on some days you eat more. But over the course of a week, whether or not you count calories,

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You can end up being on average taking on board a similar amount of calories because you've had less Monday through Thursday, and then you've allowed for more calories Friday, Saturday, Sunday. It doesn't have to be linear like that either, but it just gives you an idea of the adjustment of calories that can occur. So across the course of a week, you're having the same number of calories. So instead of 1,600 calories every day for seven days,

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On some days you're having 1400 calories and on other days you're having 2200 calories. But at the end of the week, it's the same number of calories. This allows you that planned flexibility of having foods that would otherwise be considered off plan that you would try to avoid. And then if you do have them, you sort of catastrophize it. Instead, you've planned to have them. You can feel really good about them. You're way less likely to overeat them.

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and you do not feel deprived, which is exactly what you want. And for what it's worth, as you know, this is what Monday's Matter does as well, when we have those two protein-spearing modified fast days. The planned indulgences, these are actually critical too, because it does allow you to stay on track and avoid catastrophizing. It also means that you have, instead of feeling deprived, what you're doing is you're leaning into that delayed gratification. Something will always taste a little bit better if you have to wait.

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for it rather than it being available all of the time. So having a couple of days of lower calories like you do in Monday's matter will allow more room in your calorie budget for the meal out or the after work drinks or the early Christmas brunch. And just remember, this is a mindset thing. It's not the first or the last time you have the opportunity to eat these foods. And in fact, you can eat whatever you want.

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whenever you want because you are an adult after all. However, right now you're choosing to make choices that align with your health goals and you're being considered about the more indulgent things that you can also enjoy without derailing your progress. And when there's a lot that's out of us, control when it comes to eating out and being unsure about the foods that you're eating and maybe not having the same time to go to the gym, remember that what gets measured gets managed.

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So, particularly with regards to your food, where possible, using digital scales, weigh out what you're eating so you're not accidentally over consuming things like peanut butter or cheese or olive oil, nuts and seeds and these calorically dense yet healthy foods. In addition to the Christmas minstrels that you're having and the chocolate bars or the roses chocolates that might be coming in or the

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additional couple of glasses of wine because someone's popped around after work for a pre-Christmas catch up. All of this can fit as long as you know what's going in. Whereas if you have no idea and you're not weighing and tracking your food, then it can be easy to bury your head in the sand until January, 2026, which will just leave you further behind. So this isn't for everyone. I completely appreciate that. But even if you're not tracking it, even getting a sense of how much things

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way so you can appreciate what a tablespoon of mayonnaise actually looks like at 15 grams versus 30 grams, things like that. This is where it can make a real difference. with regards to sort of planning and setting yourself up for success here, particularly around the meals, do food prep each week. Just make that a non-negotiable. Where have you got a couple of hours for you to figure out what meals you're eating, to shop for those meals, get it delivered, and then

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prep a few salads, chop up some veggies, have your proteins ready to go. And put your exercise clothes out the night before so you don't have to think about whether or not you're going to the gym. You've just already decided. Don't make that a decision you have to make every single day. Just have it in your diaries the days that you go into the gym or going for a run. And then definitely prepare meals to suit you because particularly if you're taking around a dish to a barbecue, mean, not everyone is interested in

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trying to eat macro-friendly, high-protein foods, right? Nor should they be, which is totally fine. But if that's how you want to eat, then make the foods that you take with you, along with your health goals and let other people dig in if they need. Also, practice saying no thank you, because a lot of what I'm talking about around setting boundaries and making decisions that suit you, mean that you're likely going to have to say no to certain things, which is an uncomfortable place for some people to be in. Just because predominantly we are people pleases, right?

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So practice saying no thank you, or you can't make it, or have a reason ready for why you want to just not go to whatever it is that you've been invited to. it is actually enough to say, I've got a lot on and I just need some downtime. So don't feel like you're letting anyone down with that. And this is why it's more important for you to practice saying no thank you so you feel comfortable and know that you don't have to take on board other people's feelings around that.

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And then prepare to manage your expectations and others' expectations around you. So, you you're probably not going to nail every single meal or get every single workout in or get to bed at nine o'clock every single night. And that's okay because you don't have to. Likewise, there'll be other people around who will want you to stay up late and have that last sort of last glass of wine or who will want you to come immediately from work when in fact you have a gym session planned.

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things like that. So as long as you're very clear on your own expectations for yourself in your head, it'll be much easier for you to manage other people's expectations as well. And then it's important to have a think about your type of personality. As I mentioned before around perfectionist versus self-sabotage. People who are perfectionists are typically sort of type A. They often use words like always, never, should and shouldn't.

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They have a hard time seeing positives in situations. They often look at the downsides, even if there's potential opportunities, and they won't try something unless they're confident they can do it perfectly. And small mistakes can make them feel like a total failure. And it's important for anyone who resonates with any of these sort of comments to appreciate that nothing is ever perfect. No one expects you to be perfect. You never expect people to do things perfectly.

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So acknowledging that is the first step to letting go of an all or nothing mindset. Just being comfortable and getting confident with the gray zone. Why isn't something enough? Why does it have to be all or nothing? So importantly, you want to notice and label the thinking that spirals into this all or nothing, like I've ruined it all now, or there's no point because I don't have 45 minutes to go to the gym, things like that. And then what you want to do is get some perspective.

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you let's say that you ate a biscuit you weren't intending to, instead of catastrophizing that, actually think, well, you know, what happened? And what does this actually mean about you? So if your immediate thought is, I'm a failure, I can't diet, et cetera, look for, is there evidence for this? Or is it just that you were tired because you didn't get to bed early enough, or you didn't eat enough for breakfast, so this is why you reached for the biscuit? Like try to...

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step back and let your logical brain take over rather than your emotional brain to sort of hijack the situation. And part of that is in fact reframing that thought. So what are five other ways that you could think about it? So that Christmas biscuit that you ate, is it because you were tired and you just need to go to bed earlier? Is it because you worked out and in fact you under ate at breakfast? Is it because you were bored or you were distracted by a problem at work and you reached for food as a comfort? So

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have a think about what logically happened and then when you've got these tools to reframe, you can then set yourself up so you're not in this position next time around. I say this like it's a super simple solution and it really isn't. These are things which take months if not years to sort of nail, but that awareness first and foremost is super important. And then when it comes to self-sabotage, which I know a lot of people experience, remember that food and alcohol is a symptom to the problem.

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and it isn't the problem itself. And oftentimes when we self-sabotage, this is a distraction to emotions or feelings that occur. And trying to acknowledge what the problem is, is really important as well. So again, this is a work on that isn't a quick fix either. But what is it? Is it that your fear of success or failure? Is there a fear of others' reactions to your success and failure? As people pleases, this comes up a lot.

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Do you feel undeserving of good things? Do you feel guilty or shameful of wanting or obtaining good things? Like all of these things are indicators that some of our behaviors sort of sabotage our best results. And often I see this in my clients where a little bit of success actually is a hindrance to more success. Like they see that they're onto something and then they'll do something that is not in alignment with that, almost as a self-sabotage, but they don't even really realize they're doing it.

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And it is because they are afraid to succeed further or people know them as, know, I'm Jenny who's, you know, size 20. I'm not Jenny who's size 16. You know, things like that actually can shift your perception of how people will be to you. Again, this is a lot to unpack, but it is definitely worth it if you're going to crack the self-sabotage nut, particularly if you recognize yourself in some of these, some of these points that I've sort of raised.

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And it is important to practice self-compassion with all of this. And it's unlikely that you're going to nail this in nine weeks, right? But in order to make this change, you have to be aware of it and you have to want to sort of move on from it. And also often people blame the idea that they've got no willpower and that's why they had that third glass of wine or tucked into those biscuits and things like that. But willpower?

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isn't something you have or don't have. And not all of our decisions and actions relies on willpower. Every time you tell yourself you've got no willpower, you're leading yourself off the hook. You're proving to yourself that you can't follow through on your goals. And this pathway in the brain for some people is so well oiled, it takes time to break those connections. So it isn't impossible to do so, but it does require a mindset shift. And that's where some of the deeper work um is involved.

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And it might be something like therapy. It might be listening to podcasts, reading books that sort of help you change this narrative. And part of it is to reflect. So, you know, when you do have that all or nothing mindset, or you've got that sort of self-sabotage tactics go on, just ask yourself, sort of even at the end of each couple of days, like, what did I do really well? What could go better? And how would better look?

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So ask yourself these super simple questions to get you reflect on your food and your patterns and your behavior and where changes can occur. A daily journal can be super helpful to prompt you to do this. And it is something which people roll their eyes on, but it is so important. And remember your why. Like why do you even care about improving your body composition or getting your health in check in the first place? Have that at the forefront of your mind.

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on a sticky note on your computer. Have it written next to your lamp by your bed. Have it somewhere where you can see it and so you can engage with it and write it down on the regular because writing something down with a pen and paper is a really great way of getting your brain to connect with your actual goals. And then importantly, celebrate your wins. These wins aren't related to scales necessarily. They're related to hitting your protein goals for the day.

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only having two glasses of wine when you go out, to not overeating at that meal, to saying no to a chocolate, to hitting your workout, to making a new protein recipe, something like that. These are all super important things because these are the actions and behaviors that will lead you to your overall end goal, but you won't get to your end goal without these tiny little wins. And so you need to celebrate them and we're not very good at it. And the fifth habit, which I would be remiss for not mentioning, is the alcohol effect. Essentially,

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Almost everything can be derailed by drinking too much alcohol. So if you're someone who enjoys a drink, I encourage you to look at your calendar and forecast ahead. Aim for a maximum of six drinks in a week. Make sure that when you have those drinks, you're fully hydrated before you crack on into the first one or arrive to where you're going. Aim to be like a sober driver on at least a few occasions. So you immediately take that decision away that you're drinking.

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I would also encourage non-alcoholic, low calorie beverages in between each alcoholic drink so you continue to hydrate, maybe even electrolytes as well, and you're not feeling deprived. And have a glass in your hand at all times. Don't let people fill it up for you because then you lose count of how much you've had. If you are having any spirits, then sugar-free mixes, like adding sugar to a mix, an alcoholic drink is just...

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makes it 10 times worse because not only in morning will you have some sort of alcohol hangover, you could very well have a sugar hangover as well. And whilst red wine does contain less residual sugar, which can be important, drink what you truly enjoy and sip it slowly and keep those creamy drinks to a minimum because they're super highly calorific. And before you go to bed that night, have electrolytes, try and get in a decent hit of protein across the evening. Don't drink on an empty stomach.

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And oftentimes we feel our best after one drink. So remember that as you're diving into your second or third, that probably you'll just end up feeling worse, particularly as we're getting older as well. So be really choosy about when you are drinking and have a think about which drink is your non-negotiable. Is it the drink that's before dinner? Is it the one where you're clearing up or is it the drink with dinner? Then that's the one that you should keep in and then forego the rest and have other options on hand.

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So with regards to how to navigate these habits and how to sort of overcome them and make sure they don't derail you, well, I think that effective calorie cycling is definitely important. So choosing days with higher intakes, making room and accounting for it on other days, having that high energy flux as well, planning in advance the social occasions you're going to indulge, the social occasions you're happy just to miss completely, and

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prioritize what really matters at this time. And that really is sleep, exercise, stress management for most of us. These are the things that really are big dial movers. They allow us to make better food decisions. hopefully that gives you some insights into the things which I think are super important to bit long, this one, isn't it? Just to remind you, Monday's Matter Christmas edition, this is open for one week. So I've put all of these strategies in one place.

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to you navigate the festive season takes us right up to Christmas. So I take the decision-making out of it for you. Join me and many, many, many others as we navigate this time together and you can have confidence that what you're doing is not only leading you towards your goals, but also giving you confidence to enjoy the festive season to the best of your ability as well. So that's on sale now through to Sunday, 9th of November for a 10th of November kickoff.

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and would love you to join and there is a link in the show notes to that. Okay guys, you have the best week. See you later.