How to Enjoy Holiday Food and Still Support Weight Loss

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The holidays can stir up a whole mix of thoughts for women in midlife — especially around food. Maybe you’ve walked into a Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering thinking, “Why try to stay on plan?” Or maybe your brain goes straight to, “I can eat whatever I want today — I’ll deal with the consequences later.”

If so, hear me when I say this: nothing is wrong with you.
Those thoughts come from a real place — from years of seeing the holidays as a “pause button,” from hormonal shifts that change hunger and cravings, and from the exhaustion of holding everything together all season long.

As a Trim Healthy coach and menopause fitness specialist, I’ve watched thousands of women struggle with the same pattern: excitement about the season, fear of losing consistency, and then guilt when old habits start creeping back in. And I’ve lived my own version of it, too.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.
You can enjoy holiday meals, support your hormones, and stay connected to your goals without deprivation or drama. You can walk into the holiday table with peace instead of panic — and that starts with one simple shift.

Let’s walk through it together.

Why Holiday Eating Feels Harder in Midlife

Before we talk strategy, let’s talk about what’s really happening behind the scenes.

Women in perimenopause and menopause often tell me:

• “I used to be able to eat a big holiday meal and bounce back. Now it sticks to me for weeks.”
  
• “My cravings feel stronger than ever.”
  
• “One off-plan day used to be no big deal. Now it sends me down a spiral.”
  
  

Here’s the truth:
Your hormones are shifting, and those shifts change how your body handles stress, blood sugar, and appetite. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the holidays. It simply means you need a smarter approach — one rooted in mindset, meal planning, and midlife physiology.

This is why mindset is the foundation of every Trim Healthy plan I teach. Not because you need to “think positive,” but because your thoughts drive your choices. And consistent choices — not perfection — drive your results.

The Mindset That Changes Everything: “I Choose What Serves Me”

How you think at the holiday table matters more than what’s actually on the table.

If you walk in overwhelmed, feeling like food has power over you, you’ll end up reacting to the moment instead of responding with intention.

But if you walk in with a grounded, settled phrase like:

“I choose what serves me.”

everything changes.

It removes the pressure. It removes the guilt.
It removes the all-or-nothing thinking that has tripped so many of us up for years.

When your brain starts offering unhelpful thoughts like:

• “You’re the only one staying on plan.”
  
• “Aunt Susan will be offended if you skip her pie.”
  
• “Everyone else gets to eat whatever they want.”
  
  

You come back to:
“I choose what serves me.”

Not what serves diet culture.
Not what serves guilt or fear.
Not what serves other people’s opinions.

Just what serves your body, your goals, and your peace.

This is not restriction — it’s empowerment.

Reframing “Missing Out” During the Holidays

Many women secretly worry that staying on plan means missing out. But here’s the invitation...
What if you’re not missing out at all?
What if you’re actually gaining something?

You’re choosing peace instead of regret.
You’re choosing energy, clarity, and steady blood sugar.
You’re choosing to end the holiday weekend feeling good in your body instead of frustrated by it.

This is a powerful mindset shift for midlife:

You’re not giving up holiday joy — you’re giving up the crash that follows.

And the beautiful thing?
There are so many delicious ways to stay on plan, enjoy festive foods, and still support your hormones.

Let’s talk about how.

Holiday Meal Plan Strategies That Support Hormones and Fat Loss

Hormone changes during menopause make blood sugar balance essential. So your goal during holiday meals isn’t perfection — it’s stability.

Here are a few simple strategies that make the biggest difference for midlife women following Trim Healthy principles.

1. Anchor Your Plate With Protein

If you do nothing else, do this.

Protein steadies your blood sugar, reduces cravings, and signals your brain, “We’re safe. We’re fed. We’re good.”

At holiday meals, this might look like:

• Turkey
  
• Ham
  
• Salmon
  
• Chicken
  
• Lean roast beef
  
  

Just make sure you’re not eating holiday treats alone — that’s a fast track to insulin spikes and fat storage.

2. Choose On-Plan Swaps (That Still Taste Amazing)

This is where planning helps.
Not restriction — planning.

Here are some of my favorite simple Trim Healthy swaps:

• Desserts: Bring your own Trim Healthy–approved cheesecake, pumpkin pie in a mug, or keto dessert.
  
• Sweet sides: Try cranberry relish made with baobab and natural sweeteners (fermented if you’re next-level).
  
• Stuffing & bread: Use sprouted bread, almond flour blends, or lighter cornbread.
  
• Mashed potatoes: Lighten with chicken broth, skip heavy cream, and reduce butter by half.
  
  

These options taste good, honor your body, and let you fully enjoy the meal without the crash.

3. Decide Ahead of Time Where You Want Flexibility

This needs to be said out loud:

There is nothing wrong with enjoying one or two intentional treats.

The key word is: intentional.

For example, I’ve already decided that I’m having my mom’s chocolate chocolate-chip cookies at Thanksgiving. Not 10 of them. Not mindlessly. Just the ones I truly enjoy.

Intentional off-plan choices create peace.
Chaotic “I’ll figure it out later” choices create stress.

Decide your guidelines ahead of time, and follow them with grace.

4. Use Post-Meal Movement to Support Blood Sugar

This one is SO powerful for women in midlife.

• Take a 10-minute walk after your meal
  
• Do a few squats or lunges
  
• Walk to the mailbox
  
• Put on music and dance in the kitchen
  
  

Short bursts of movement throughout the day help your muscles pull glucose out of your bloodstream — which reduces fat storage and stabilizes energy.

This is more effective than one long workout later.

5. Add Something Sour (Sour Is Power!)

From Trim Healthy Wisdom, you know that sour is a hormone-supporting superstar.

Try:

• Apple cider vinegar in water
  
• Lemon water
  
• Sauerkraut
  
• Kefir shots
  
• Burner shots
  
  

Take it before your meal to support blood sugar stability and digestion.

6. Hydrate Like It’s Your Job

Sometimes what feels like hunger is actually dehydration — especially with stress and heating systems running nonstop.

Keep a sipper, water bottle, or herbal tea nearby throughout the day. Hydration stabilizes cravings, supports digestion, and prevents unnecessary snacking.

7. Have a No-Snacking Rule (If It Serves You)

This one isn’t for everyone, but it works beautifully for many of my clients.

Holiday grazing — chips here, crackers there, cheese, dips, the “just one bite” all day long — keeps insulin elevated and sets you up for cravings later.

Instead, enjoy snacks at snack time.
Enjoy your meal at meal time.
Give your body space to digest.

Faith, Peace, and Presence: The Heart of Trim Healthy Holidays

At the end of the day, the holidays aren’t about food.
They’re about people.
Connection.
Presence.
Peace.

You serve others best when you’re coming from a grounded place.
Not guilt. Not fear. Not pressure.

When you choose foods that serve your body — not punish it — you show up more present, more energized, and more fully you.

And when overwhelm rises, pause.
Invite peace back in.
Ask the Lord for wisdom and strength.
Offer your holiday choices to Him and trust that He will guide you.

This is grace-based consistency — the kind that actually lasts.

Your Holiday Action Plan

Here’s a simple way to stay empowered this season:

Checklist: 3 Things to Decide Before the Holiday Meal

• What foods will serve your body and energy?
  
• What intentional treats (if any) will you enjoy?
  
• What mindset will you choose when temptation or doubt shows up?
  
  

Write these down.
Pray over them.
Walk into the holiday table with confidence.

You are capable of so much more than you realize.

Holiday eating doesn’t have to be chaotic, stressful, or derailing — especially in midlife.
When you anchor your mindset in “I choose what serves me,” support your hormones with smart Trim Healthy meal choices, and approach food from a place of peace instead of perfection, you create a holiday season that feels nourishing, joyful, and fully aligned with your goals.

You can enjoy holiday food, enjoy your people, and enjoy the presence of God in the moment — without losing your momentum.

You’ve got this, sister. And I’m right here cheering you on.