Checking In and....HELLO the HOLIDAYS!

Update:

So, I've gotten a few emails about why I haven't written in a while. The short answer is that my MWL group hasn't met in a while!

No worries though, I have been steadily losing or maintaining my weight! I am currently hovering between 148-150. As we all know, the closer to your goal, the longer it takes.

Many people have also been asking me about my post-Optifast food plan. In general, I eat between 1200-1500 calories a day. Even on Thanksgiving, I did not go over 1650. Of those calories, I eat a minimum of 25 grams of fiber a day, but shoot for 35 grams. I also eat a minimum of five fruits and vegetables everyday--usually more. I eat four ounces of lean protein every day. I also eat three-four servings of non-fat dairy a day. I take a multi-vitamin, vitamin C and vitamin D everyday. 12 glasses of water, 8 of which AT MINIMUM is just water. I generally avoid sugar, butter, etc...but try to eat good fats to support brain health.

THIS FOOD PLAN IS ONE THAT I DEVELOPED IN CONJUNCTION WITH MY HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TEAM, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT YOUR DIET. Please.

Basically, I treat everyday as a new day. I recommit myself to my program. I am training for a half marathon in February, so I train for that five days a week. (Feel free to be my friend on dailymile.com!) I also try to do one exercise class a week.

Sigh.... The Holidays....or....YAY! The Holidays!

So, you may ask...how did I get through Thanksgiving eating all day, what most people eat during the appetizer portion of the night? Good question! First of all, I ate breakfast, snack, and lunch. By the time dinner was ready, I was ready for dinner--not a huge feast. Although breakfast was a post walk brunch at a friends, where nothing was low fat except the fruit salad, I used my knowledge of portion size to eat healthfully and enjoy myself!

After the brunch (where I ate a 1/2 portion of the best quiche I have ever had!, 1 cup of fruit salad, and two tablespoons of regular honey greek yogurt), I looked everything up on my BlackBerry and wrote down the calories in my food journal. My attitude was this--I don't care what the calories are, I just want to write them down. I fully expected to eat far more calories than usual--I just wasn't going to eat whatever--I wanted to be careful! Lunch was my usual yogurt and veggie sandwich. Dinner was the--yes I said it---the low fat Thanksgiving my mother in law and I cooked up. So, slightly unfair advantage compared to my dieting friends in the trenches, but there are many things to eat at Christmas and Thanksgiving that are not fattening: roast turkey, roasted vegetables, and salad. No one is forcing anyone to eat mashed potatoes. You also don't have to eat a ton of something. One tablespoon of anything is fine, but don't eat 35 tablespoons. If you don't want to know the calorie count of something, you shouldn't eat it!

Okay...one more thing...dessert. If you love dessert, the way I love it, eat it! What is sooooo great is that if you skip all the stuff you really don't want to eat, like extra appetizers, seconds, etc...you can have your 350 calorie slice of pumpkin pie! Seriously, eat what you want--not what is put in front of you, or what are you are eating to look busy, or what you are eating to avoid talking to that weird third cousin who "jokingly" hits on you every year.

Needless to say, if you "drink it, ink it; you you bite it, write it." If you write everything down and it comes to 4,000 calories--at least you know! So, when the scale creeps up, you know why. Everyday is a new day. That's what is so wonderful about life!

The key to successful holidays is making your needs known and eliciting support for your goals. Tell friends and family that there need to be some options for you or offer to bring some. Your friends and family love you, and most of them will be more than willing to help you.

Here are the goals:

Inner goal: stop the self criticism and acknowledge my successes
Outer goal: to look fabulous at the annual Christmas Party!

Here are the numbers:

Starting weight: 225
Current weight: 149
Goal weight: 140

See you next time!