How to Love Every Bite This December

(and Still Feel Amazing in January)

Thanksgiving was everything it was meant to be: loud, delicious, and overflowing with people we love. Extra helpings of turkey with gravy. Seconds of pie. And you know what? That’s not a failure; that’s a celebration. God created taste buds and togetherness for a reason.

Now December is here—cookies on every counter, parties every weekend, and that one cheese ball that could double as a doorstop. The world says it’s either “be good” or “give up until January.” But Jesus offers a different invitation: abundant life, right in the middle of the abundance on the table.

Here’s the way of freedom I walk my clients through every single holiday season.

1. Start with your voice (out loud, every time) Before you leave the house, say it in the car or the bathroom mirror: “Jesus, I get to enjoy the foods I truly love tonight, and I also get to feel light and energized when I walk away. Lead me.” Speaking it invites Him into the decision before the first appetizer even appears. It’s a 5-second prayer that changes everything.

2. Do the joyful scan Look over the spread and ask (out loud if you can, in your heart if you can’t): “Which of these do I really, truly want right now?” Pick the one or two things that make your soul light up - you know the 10's (not the 7 or 8's). Put them on your plate like the treasures they are.

3. Eat like it’s a thank-you note to God. Slow bites. Real savoring. Eyes closed for half a second if you want. Thank Him for every flavor, every laugh, every person around the table. Gratitude turns food into worship faster than you can say “pass the gravy.”

4. When the “one more” voice shows up, answer it with truth. My clients use this phrase: “It’s okay to be hungry.” Meaning: It’s okay that my eyes want another cookie when my body is already satisfied. That feeling isn’t the boss of me—Jesus is. Say it out loud in the hallway or the powder room: “It’s okay to be hungry. I’m satisfied, I’m full of joy, and I’m all done.” The urge passes in 90 seconds. Every. Single. Time.

Real story. One of my sweet clients received chocolates straight from Switzerland from her sister. Like they are the real deal smooth and creamy and better than all other chocolates. This past year as these little morsels of deliciousness were disappearing faster than Santa eats cookies, she felt out of control. We discussed options and she put them in the freezer. A few months later she went in the freezer and saw that box of chocolates and laughed. She'd totally forgotten about them! What a win!!

Your simple December rhythm:

• Before every event: Speak your intention with Jesus.

• At the table: Choose with joy, eat with presence.

• When satisfied: “I’m happily full and all done.”

• When temptation circles: “It’s okay to be hungry.”

• Every night before bed: Thank Him for flavor, family and freedom.

This isn’t about restriction. It’s about walking with Jesus right up to the dessert table and letting Him set you free in the very place you used to feel stuck.

So eat the peppermint bark. Sip the fancy hot chocolate. Dance in the kitchen while the caramels cool. Speak your freedom out loud every step of the way.

You’re going to end this year energized, joyful, and deeply satisfied—body, soul, and spirit.

In Courage, joy and peace this Christmas season,

Dani