As I’ve outlined in the previous blog entries, I’ve had some issues lately with water weight, medication changes, and stabilizing my weight. I’m happy to report that my weight has finally dipped down below the previous low, for a loss of 31.8 pounds. In fact, I’m thrilled by this, because I’ve been cautioning my impatient brain that expecting weight loss during the holiday season is a risk.
32 Pound Fat Cat (And he’s a Hemingway cat, too!)
It’s not impossible, certainly, but a lot of people fall off the wagon during the holidays; whether it’s from temptation, failing to plan for situations, frustration from lack of weight loss, or some other reason.
Temptation is tough; it’s as if there’s this agreed-upon idea that it’s totally okay for everyone to stuff their faces between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Usually, when I’m low carbing, I’m pretty dedicated to it; I don’t tend to feel tempted by holiday foods, but I admit that there are just some things that have that potential to lure me off the weight loss trail.
That can happen if I fail to plan. I believe it’s important to have a plan in place when any social event arises, and there are more than usual throughout the holiday season. Both short term and long term plans help bridge those times when the available selection of food may not jive with your plan. If it’s just a party, I decide beforehand to either bring something that I know I can have, or restrict what I’ll have once there. (My plan accommodates for higher carbs/calories on occasion, so this is perhaps easier for me.) If it’s snack food, I make sure I eat beforehand, so I’m not hungry and dealing with blood sugar issues.
Long term, I plan on occasional days when I accept that I will be off plan. For instance, Christmas Day; usually, my higher carb/calorie days are on weekends, and I’m strict during the week, but Christmas is on Wednesday. I will enjoy the day; I will eat what I want but not go overboard; and I understand that the trade-off is the likelihood of no weight loss next week.
This is all to say that keeping your expectations realistic and staying in control of your environment will help you through the tougher challenges. Knowing what I’m going to do or how to handle a given situation takes away the element of frustration, or at least lessens it, so that voice that likes to scream “FAILURE!” remains a whisper.
Be better than you were, yesterday. Merry Christmas — and be strong!