Holidays in Moderation

 I've seen so many comments about people worrying about how to handle the holidays while trying to lose weight. I must admit that I'm bothered by them, because it worries me that people feel the need to be all or nothing. While the holidays aren't specifically about food, food is often a major part of how we celebrate with family and friends and really there isn't anything wrong with that. 

It's not the calories between Christmas and New Year's that make you gain weight; it's the calories between New Year's and Christmas. As long as you're making good choices the majority of the time, go ahead and have the cookie or the cornbread stuffing or whatever particular holiday food looks delicious. Try to have a sensible portion and enjoy it, but if you overindulge a bit? Don't worry about it. It's one day- just move on.

Realistically, we're trying to lose weight for the rest of our lives. If you reach that number you have set as your goal weight a week or two sooner, what affect does that really have on your life? Nothing. It's whether you'll be able to maintain your loss over time, not about the date on the calendar when you finally reach there. 

And if you learn to indulge in moderation, even if your loss is slower, it makes it far more likely that you'll be able to maintain it because you'll have learned a better way to balance food in your life. All or nothing diets don't work, and there's a lot of studies that show that. People can only handle feeling deprived for so long, and then their willpower fades and they start eating those foods again, and in greater quantity because they feel like they've missed out. And that's when the pounds start coming back on.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying your favourite treats during the holidays, or for a birthday, or on vacation, as long as the rest of the time you're doing your best to be more sensible.

So I've chosen not to do my weigh ins during the holidays this year. I know the scale will be going up with the salt and whatnot, and I'm okay with that. And I'll be ready to get my focus back again once the holiday break is over.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, however you choose to celebrate it! And have a cookie for me, too!