I’m sure you’ve noticed how many of our special occasions and gatherings revolve around food.

Birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, and of course, holidays like Memorial Day.

If you’re new to Code Red, the idea of shifting your mindset so that food is just a small part of the gathering, vs. front and center, may seem pretty alien.

I get it. It’s definitely not the norm.

But it’s how we do things on the Code Red Lifestyle™.

Does that mean you “can’t” include food as part of your special occasions?

No. It means the food is just one part, instead of all you think about.

See, Code Red Rebels decide that their health and wellbeing are more important than what they shove in their pie-hole.

And they make the conscious choice to lead with that, instead of “how much ‘bad food’ can I ‘get away’ with eating?”

What good does stuffing yourself into a coma do?

I’ll tell you what good it does: NONE whatsoever.

Eating until you’re no longer hungry, instead of until you’re ready to puke, is simple to do. It might be different than what you’re used to, but it’s simple to do. Eat slowly and listen to your body.

Drink plenty of water, so you’re not confusing dehydration with hunger.

Reach out to an accountability buddy. Even if they aren’t physically near you, the two of you can make a commitment to stay on track together. Knowing someone’s got your back–AND knowing that person is counting on you to have theirs–is REALLY motivating.

Just make sure it’s not someone who’s gonna giggle and let you off the hook if you start playing fast and loose with the rules.

Also, don’t forget that in today’s world, there are SO many ways to create healthier versions of food that are just as delicious, but don’t come with the insulin spike and inflammation (both of which contribute to obesity and interfere with your weight loss).

Between the Code Red Cookbook and access to other Rebels in one of my Code Red communities, a TON of simple, tasty, healthy meal options are available to you.

If judgment from your family and friends is a concern for you, remember these two things:

1 – “No thank you” is a complete sentence. No explanation needed.

2 – Your health, and how YOU feel about yourself, is more important than what other people think. Their goals are not yours, so their opinions are not yours. That’s totally fine and it doesn’t mean you have to get completely obnoxious. But stand up for yourself. Show them – and more importantly, yourself – that you’re serious.

Holidays are not an excuse to go off the rails. I get that concept is different than what you’re used to, so might be a little weird.

But doing what you’ve always done is why you’re not happy with your weight or health, and doing what you’ve always done isn’t gonna get you someplace new.

So keep going, even through the discomfort. Discomfort is part of change – even positive change, like taking your life back. You CAN do it!