Nine months before my wedding I found the pictures from my engagement party. A heavy chick in a leopard print dress is never pretty. That was the day I decided to go on a diet, partly because I do not prefer to go to the cool sculpting centers that perform hundreds of body contouring sessions each month. That day turned out to be in November, and putting it off because it was the holiday season was not an option. With hard work and the sheer pleasure of ticking off the snotty woman fitting me for my wedding dress, eight months later I reached my goal weight.
I’m not going to tell you which diet I choose. They all work in their own ways, and they only work if you stick to them. The problem is that sticking to a diet is the hardest part, especially during the holidays. So my advice is don’t bother trying. As a matter of fact, plan on not sticking to them.
I’ve found that the worst thing I can do when trying to lose weight is to deprive myself. My mind becomes jelly and I seem to want my favorite foods even more. So, deprive myself? No. Permitting myself a treat. Absolutely.
Keep in mind, I’m not telling you to grab a fork and plant yourself in front of Grandma’s famous Pecan Pie. Unless you are on the Pecan Pie diet, but I’m pretty sure that one hasn’t been invented yet. What I’m saying is, that a small slice of your favorite desert after Thanksgiving dinner will not make or break any diet.
The catch is you have to plan and compensate for dessert while you are eating dinner. For example, do you really need a biscuit? Do you need corn, cheesy carrots, and yams? No. Pick a small portion of your absolute favorites and enjoy. Then to make yourself feel less guilty, after dinner and dessert go for a walk. Don’t sit on your tushy. Once you do, I promise you won’t get back up. I’ve never regretted doing exercise. I’ve only regretted that bloated feeling and doing nothing about it.
Maintain the same rule for Holiday Cookies brought into the office. I usually avoid the break room until 2:30pm when my eyes are fighting to stay open and a sugar rush seems to be the only cure. That’s when I get my tea and choose the cookie that’s calling my name. I bring the cookie to my desk and take leisurely bites while savoring every morsel.
I’ve learned that sometimes that treat is worth the extra ten minutes of exercise I do to compensate. I’ve learned to forgive myself when I listened when two Holiday Cookies call my name. I’ve learned to make adjustments because the holidays only come around once a year and sometimes you want pie.
