We Don't Have to Wait Until New Year's To Get Back on Track!

Oh yeah!  There's little doubt that most of us are looking just like the grabby Octopus at certain times during the holiday season.  For the most part, there's no way of getting around that fact during this time of the year.  We also know that there are times we can make every effort to get back on track as soon as possible.

It's a heck of a lot better than chalking it up and waiting until the first of the year to go on a the latest or greatest "diet".  We don't have to wait.  There are measures we can take right now.  We can begin to try to work off some of the extra calories each day.  We can rid our home of the high fat items that are leftover from the holiday meals.  We can freeze them or give them away.  As I've stated before, it's not the one day holiday itself that presents a major problem, it's the days after where we repeat eating the rich leftover foods!  Yikes!

It was great to see so many people jogging the day after Christmas.  People of all sizes were making great attempts at working off the extras they had eaten the previous day.

Most of us know that we're not going to work off all of the extra calories in one day but heck, it's a start and it doesn't take long at all to take off a little weight over a couple of week's time.

I'm going to do my best to return to my normal healthy eating pattern until the first of the new year.  At the start of the new year, I will create a small deficit in order to take off a few extra pounds I've put on over the holidays. 

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season!

Are You Ready For the Upcoming Holidays?

At this point the holidays are coming whether we are ready or not.  The rush is just starting to kick in for me.  It's so funny but I find myself thinking back to my past old eating habits over the course of the previous three decades before I had lost the weight.

In the past this was a free for all time for me.  It was like someone gave me the green light to eat anything in sight, afterall, it was the holiday season.  I can remember gathering up the candy making and baking items way ahead of time.  Like I've mentioned before, I can remember purchasing the brightly colored foiled candies, just to have around the house.  Of course, I now realize, as I did then, I was the one who mainly ate most of these items.  I can't imagine how many calories I consumed just tasting as I went along!  Of course, as I've mentioned before, ignorance is bliss, and I didn't want to know because I did not want to be held accountable.  Food was a comfort for me.  I used food to deal with happy, stressful, sad or boring times in my life.  Food was my pacifer before I formed a new relationship with food back in January of 2008.

I think differently now during the holiday season.  I will make these special items right before the holiday itself but I won't be making these items over and over for weeks ahead and afterwards into the new year. 

I've learned how to put the BRAKES ON!  This means that I realize I am no longer the grabby octopus we highlight on the blog.  I'm not first in line to grab a candy or a high caloric treat.  I've learned to think first.  I've learned not to make these things ahead of time.  I now make them for a special occasion and then I enjoy a serving, not multiple servings. 

I have the brakes on and there is nothing in my home at this point to grab throughout the day that is not a part of our daily healthy eating pattern.  We all know that in the days ahead there will be family gatherings where we can slack up a bit and eat things we don't normally eat in a moderate fashion.

So, for now and up until the family gathering, I'm staying within my 1,800 normal daily intake to the best degree possible.  I'm exercising daily with at least 20 minutes of Pilates and on most all days, 30 minutes of my run/walk.

I check almost daily and my weight is still being maintained.  I feel if I keep at it, like I did last year at this same time, I won't have any additional weight gain by January 1, 2010.  That's my goal.  I don't mind taking off a two pound gain over the course of a couple of weeks but I sure and heck see no reason to pack on an additional 5-10 pounds just because it is the holiday season!

For me, so much of the holiday season is about the love I feel for my family and friends.  I am thankful to God for all that I have been given in life.

Still I am saving some room for a couple of my pecan tarts! 

Have a great day!