The Fasting Method Podcast

Here Comes Sugar Season!

The Fasting Method Podcast

Show Notes

The holidays don't have to become a choice between perfect restriction and giving up until January. Episode #281 πŸŽ™οΈ In this solo episode, Coach Amy Medling looks at what happens when "sugar season" begins and food, celebrations, traditions and expectations start showing up everywhere. Rather than offering another set of holiday food rules, Amy explores a more discerning approach. How do you tell the difference between something you genuinely want and something you're eating simply because it's there? What have you already learned about the foods that are difficult for you to negotiate with? And which traditions really are worth your yes? Through stories about Halloween candy, Christmas fudge and her grandmother's Thanksgiving dressing, Amy explores how to enjoy meaningful foods without turning the entire holiday season into an all-or-nothing struggle. She also widens the conversation beyond food, asking what else deserves your time, energy and attention during a season that can easily become overloaded. πŸ‘‰ What you'll learn β€’ Why sugar season often begins long before the big holiday meals β€’ How to distinguish between "I want this" and "it's just here" β€’ Why you don't need to keep testing something you already know about yourself β€’ How one thoughtful decision can reduce repeated battles with willpower β€’ Why making something less available can feel different from restriction β€’ How the "good" versus "bad" mindset can turn one choice into weeks of shame β€’ What Amy means by having "discriminating tastes" β€’ Why some meaningful holiday foods may genuinely be worth your yes β€’ How to think about whether a choice is bringing you closer to what actually matters β€’ Why food can be part of a rich holiday season without being responsible for making the season rich πŸ“ Read the Transcript You can read the transcript and explore more episodes of The Fasting Method Podcast here: https://www.thefastingmethod.com/podcasts/ πŸ“£ Connect With Us Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fastingmethod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFastingMethod Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/obesitycodenetwork YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@TheFastingMethod 🀝 Join The Fasting Method Community Build your fasting knowledge, learn from experienced coaches and connect with people who understand the journey: https://www.thefastingmethod.com/community/ ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Not everything deserves your yes 00:19 Welcome and why Amy calls it "sugar season" 01:39 How sugar season quietly begins 02:43 This is not a sugar-free challenge 03:20 Finding the middle between restriction and giving up 03:41 Do I actually want this, or is it just here? 04:34 Amy's Christmas fudge problem 06:25 Why keep asking yourself to do something that isn't working? 07:10 Changing the method without losing the meaning 07:25 When you already have enough data about yourself 08:13 Knowing which foods are difficult for you to negotiate with 09:27 Letting something special stay special 10:24 The trap of trying to "be good" through the holidays 11:18 How good becomes bad, shame and "I'll start again in January" 12:00 Discerning instead of being good 12:38 Why Amy's grandmother's Thanksgiving dressing gets a yes 14:12 Meaningful food versus food that happens to be there 14:33 Is this worth my yes? 14:47 Is this choice bringing me closer to my goal? 15:32 Sugar season is about more than sugar 16:27 Arriving at January with something left for yourself 16:52 What else is worth your yes this season? 17:55 What are you really hungry for? 18:11 Food doesn't have to make the season rich 18:33 Three questions to carry into sugar season 19:27 There's no failure, only feedback 20:18 Creating a plan for the holiday season you'll actually live 21:19 Maintaining your progress is progress too 21:48 Thanksgiving isn't the test, it's the practice 22:22 Learning from what happened and adjusting 22:51 Participate in the holidays without abandoning y

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Just because something can be measured doesn't mean it deserves equal weight when you're thinking about your health.

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