Losing Weight Doesn't Have to Be as Miserable as Halloween

** This post was originally published in 2019.  I brought it back due to the popularity and the good reminders ;) 

Halloween is not a holiday.

I may ruffle some feathers today. Ultimately though, this post IS NOT about Halloween, so stick with me. 

We haven't celebrated Halloween at our house for years. My kids don't dress up. They don't go trick or treating. We don't have creepy decorations. And we DO NOT watch scary movies. 

We DO have a family fun night on the 31st, though. (So don't worry, my kids are not deprived)

And, none of this is because I stand on some morally high ground and oppose the "holiday". 

(Side note: I don't understand why we call this a holiday. Holidays shouldn't include ghosts, scary monsters, and skeletons. Plus, I know most of you have never seen a dead body with its structure coming out. Because if you did, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to use it as decoration….just speaking from experience…)

No, we don't celebrate Halloween because I DESPISED the end result of the evening. 

When my kids were younger, they screamed, getting into and leaving their costumes on (the kitty and princess stopped being cute). 

Plus, we live in Minnesota. Do you know our weather on October 31st? Usually cold. Sometimes even snow. So, trick or treating means coats, boots, hats, mittens. Thus I pay for a costume they hate, only wear once, and are only seen in for approximately 10 minutes.

Oh, and don't get me started on candy. I may not eat much sugar now, but I objected to massive amounts of sugar being flooded into a 5-year-old body LONG before knowing what it actually does.

Small doses may be acceptable, but there is no such thing as small doses of candy on Halloween.

Lastly, I hate being scared. I don't think it's funny and I don't like it. Apparently, neither do my children from the bawling that occurred one year after trick-or-treating at one un-named house.

I dreaded all the days leading up to it, the actual day, and the days following (sugar withdrawals are real, my friend).

So, I gave up. No more. 

I decided to quit Halloween.

But, here's the real reason why…

I realized I wasn't celebrating Halloween for my kids' enjoyment or even my own. I was participating because I thought I SHOULD.

Once I realized that I decided…

• I wasn't going to let what somebody else calls fun to make me think I was missing out.
• I wasn't going to worry if people thought I was Halloween Grinch.
• It's not the end of the world if my kids are disappointed for an evening.
• Our family will be healthier and happier for doing the "hard" thing.

How does this relate to you? 

Well, let me ask you about your last diet. Did you do it because everyone at work was doing it? Did you start because you're worried about what your husband said about the way you look? 

Or how about exercising? Do you hate the gym but have a membership because a group of your friends likes a particular class? Or maybe you try to stick to a running routine because your sister-in-law runs marathons and thought you should have that goal too. 

Let me guess. It's not working very well for you. You're probably inconsistent at best. I would even venture to say you are frustrated with yourself. 

BUT... you feel like you "should".

I'm here to tell you, friend, you SHOULDN'T.

My ears perk up every time my clients use the word should. It is a nasty word we use against ourselves.  

It implies that we want a particular result, but we hate the actions to get to the outcome.

Take, for example, Halloween for me. I wanted the result of a fun night for my kids and to make wonderful memories. I thought I SHOULD celebrate Halloween to get those results. 

But the truth was, I wasn't creating an enjoyable night, and I disliked everything about it along the way.

So, instead of trying to enjoy Halloween, I got clear on what my family and I really needed from this time.  

Now we make fantastic memories, but do it in a way we love. 

I'm guessing you want to create the result of losing weight. 

Stop telling yourself you SHOULD eat a particular way, or you SHOULD exercise using a specific method. 

Instead, ask yourself, "What do I want to eat that will make me feel good LONG TERM?" How can I fit this into my life? What can I cut out that doesn't fuel my body? How can I move my body and enjoy it?"

The answers to these questions are the things you SHOULD be doing.

And, if you're feeling confused, don't worry. There are answers.  

I've found them for my life, and my clients have found answers for their lives also. 

Losing weight doesn't have to be miserable.  

Actually, it really SHOULDN'T be.  

But the only way to stay away from misery is to remember what you're after and find YOUR way of getting there.

**Let me help let go of what you think you should be doing. 

It's just the enemy's way of keeping you stuck. Instead, find out how to lose weight in a way that shows you love and care about this beautiful temple God gave you. Sign up for a Discovery Call. It's free, and it's life-giving if you feel "stuck" in your body.  Click HERE to pick your time.