The holidays are almost upon us!!

Here they come!  The holidays are getting close and people are starting to freak out!  We'll have a lot to talk about in the next few weeks.  But now is the time - before the relatives invade, before the shit hits the fan - to make a plan.  

So it's time to sit down, to take a minute and have an HONEST discussion with yourself about the next month or so and what challenges and decisions will have to be made.  First off, what is going to be your plan as far as your weight loss journey goes?  Are you going to LOSE more weight?  Is your goal to MAINTAIN where you are right now?  Are you going to accept that you will GAIN some over the next month or so?  All of these are valid decisions for you to make.  But you should make this decision and have a strategy NOW.

Some of you will want to stick to plan.  On my journey down this was me.  Don't get me wrong - I ate freely and stuffed myself SILLY on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  BUT only those days.  The rest of the time I stuck to plan - and I lost weight.  Last year I was in maintenance and I wanted to maintain.  I allowed myself more freedom than the prior year - more indulgences - but most of the time I was on plan and I was able to maintain my weight.  That's my plan again this year.  Another woman I know from the weight loss site is in maintenance but plans to eat freely the whole season accepting that she is going to gain a couple of pounds and then she will work on taking it off after the holidays.  

Try and be honest with yourself.  Whatever decision you make is absolutely ok.  But don't plan to lose weight and then allow yourself to eat wantonly for more days than not and then be devastated when you step on the scale!

Some strategies I suggest you employ - stick to an exercise plan!!  I am running a "Turkey Trot" Thanksgiving morning and will stick to exercising the best that I can throughout the holidays!  Last year I even went on a 4 mile walk Christmas with the dogs before heading out for the day.  I'm not sure that I would begin a program like P90X on Monday and believe that I would follow it to the letter, but you certainly can be active and burn those calories.  

Eat things that you really really want but don't eat crap just because it's there.  For example, if your sister makes the best homemade pecan pie on the face of this earth, have a piece!  But when the co-worker brings in some processed pre-packaged brownies with green and red sprinkles on it and calls it a Christmas treat?  That's just not worth it!

When all the relatives want to go out to dinner, try to steer them to a place where you can make healthy choices.  Review the menu and know what you're going to order before you get there.  If you want a bite of the super high calorie entree your brother-in-law ordered, have A BITE and then stick to the healthy meal you ordered!

Watch the little things.  You may think you're doing ok if you turn down something from the box of cookies your friend brought to you.  But you think it's no big deal to have a candy cane here or there.  A candy cane has about 50 calories.  Eat 2 of those a day for a week and you've racked up 700 calories!  I know of a lot of things that have 700 calories that I would rather eat that are much better for me!  

No mindless eating!  Don't go to a party and stand right at the snack table picking and picking and picking before dinner.  Go mingle!  Run around with the kids!  Catch up with what Aunt Edna has been doing for the last year, even if you don't care!

I think a good plan to have is to be on plan "more days than not".  You aren't going to be perfect, but you don't have to undo 6 months worth of work in 4 weeks.  AND if you fuck up?  Well, we've all been there, done that.  You'll wake up the next day and make better choices!

Today I am grateful for the sun in the sky and the hope in my heart!!