Along with all of the celebration with friends and family that the holidays bring, there is an element of this time of year that many dieters dread. Yep. Lots and lots of yummy, fattening food.
I can’t go to work in the months of November and December without facing a plate of cookies in the kitchen, a tin of chocolates on the counter, and a candy cane in my Christmas cards. And these items do not account for the countless potlucks and holiday parties, let alone the actual days of celebration.
So it is no coincidence that the average American woman gains seven pounds between Halloween and New Year’s Day. We all know the reasons for the extra poundage. The question is, what can we do about it?
There are many methods out there from weight-loss and fitness gurus about how to get through the holidays and stay on track with your weight. And really, when it comes down to dieting, as long as you are perpetuating habits that aren’t damaging to your health, there’s no right or wrong. Right is simply what works for you. I have a simple method that worked really well for me, and I am pulling it out with the tinsel and tree-topper and dusting it off for the holiday season. Last year, between Halloween and New Year’s, I actually lost eight pounds. It’s a tradition I am eager to repeat this year!
Here’s my (re)gift to you:
When it comes to eating during this time of year, I use one of my most valuable dieting tools: my calendar. I get out my big desk calendar and mark off all of the events where there will yummy food that is totally indulgence-worthy. There’s my office Christmas party (this year we’re having City Barbecue…mmmmm). There’s Thanksgiving day, Christmas eve and Christmas day, New Year’s party and New Year’s day. These are the days I mark with stickers and crayons and highlighters. These are the days I look forward to, for the love, the fellowship, and yes–the food. Having that visual reminder gives me something to look toward. I know that, on these days I will be enjoying myself and treating myself. I don’t put any restrictions on myself for these days. I eat what I want.
I don’t believe that being a dieter means that we should miss out on the special occasions that come along. I think that–for me at least–doing that would make me fail in the long run. If I felt like I was missing out on the pleasurable eating that the holidays bring, I would feel like giving up. Dieting is a valuable tool for weight-loss. But on these special days, I put the tool in its box and frolic in the wondrous world of sweet potato pie, glazed ham and my hubby’s special garlic potatoes.
All right, you may be asking yourself how eating whatever you want will help you lose weight. That, my little crickets, is where the calendar comes in. When people tempt me with their homemade treats during this time of year, I look at my calendar. I know that I will be eating my favorite foods on those days. And while I like peanut brittle, I don’t love peanut brittle. I enjoy chocolate. But I can eat chocolate any time. I try, during this time of year to stay focused on my freebie days. Knowing that I have those days coming makes it much easier to turn down the random goodies that pass under my nose at every turn.
Realistically, we probably won’t say no to every temptation we face over the next few months. When you do indulge, try to be moderate. If it’s candy, take one piece and pass the plate away from you. If it’s cookies, take the smallest one in the batch, enjoy it, and continue with your planned food for the day.
The key is to try not to let these “extras” extend into two months of non-stop eating. Enjoy yourself. Eat all the turkey and stuffing you want on Thanksgiving day, with the knowledge that when you wake up the next morning, it is back to the diet, as usual. If you can do that throughout the next month or two, you will make it to New Year’s un-deprived. And smaller.
Cheers! Nan
