Meeting Topic : Challenges aka : the Christmas Season



Me & Master Lu, I started Taekwon-Do as one of his students
Christmas 2009



My American readers might think I'm crazy that we're already talking about Christmas at Weight Watchers. We're not crazy, for us Thanksgiving happened AGES ago!  We have said goodbye to the Turkey and the Pumpkin, now we're saying hello to the Christmas Tree!

This time of year leading up to Christmas if FULL of challenges!  There are the parties, the dinners, the pot-lucks, the after work drinks and nibbles and more!   Here are a few things we need to keep in mind to try and keep us on track, or as close to on track as possible!

TRACK - Track what you eat and if you can, plan ahead.  Plan your meals ahead.  If I know I'm going to be at a social event with food I often will plan most of my meals to be low point so I have some extra points to enjoy a few of my favourites at said social event.  I'll also do my best to eat "lighter/healthier" a day or two leading up to and following the event.

STOP! - How many of us have felt we have "blown" our day and we think "what the hell, I might as well keep eating"!  I think we all have.  This isn't an excuse to keep eating.  If you think you've blown your day, try to stop yourself, sit down and figure out how many points you've eaten that day.  It might not be as bad as you think, or it might me awful!  You can use this instance as a reminder for the next time you're tempted to keep eating once you've blown the day.

BE POSITIVE - Don't spend every waking hour beating yourself up for eating something "bad".  This is the beauty of WW, we can have those small indulgences.  Even when you have a slip up, instead of beating yourself up know that you ARE doing better than you used to!  Think back to how you used to act/eat at social events and how you handled it this time.  Next time you will handle it better

FRIENDS/FAMILY - Use those who care about you and are close to you.  Ask a friend to remind you not to stand near the food, or in the same room as the food (I'm okay as long as I'm not standing next to the food).  There is power in numbers!

PLANNING - Plan your meals and snacks to fit the day and the event!  Don't go to an event hungry, and don't go too long between meals.

EXERCISE - If you know you're going to be eating a little extra, get in a little more exercise as well.

ONLINE - The Weight Watchers communities, blogs and e-mails are a GREAT way to get support from those around you.  If you ever need some help or support please, don't hesitate to e-mail me!  I'm always there to help, make a suggestion, or just help you celebrate a Non Scale Victory or Milestone!!

RECIPES - Go through your cookbooks or the Internet come up with a few low calorie/fat recipes and make them your signature dishes for those potlucks.  The only way you can help yourself is by bringing a low point WW friendly dish!

REST - Don't burn the candle at both ends (I am SOOOOOOO guilty of this!), get some sleep.  When we're tired our defenses are down.  We eat more, and sometimes we eat just to help us stay awake (I know I do this!)

WATER - Drink your water, lots of it!  A lot of these party foods will be much higher in sodium than we're used to and you will retain water.  The only way to get rid of the fluids you're retaining is to... drink more water!

BE PREPARED - Look up the points of your favourite holiday treats, then you will know if its worth having or not!

FIRST BITE - That first bite always tastes the best, savour it.  Have a second bite, it may not taste as good anymore.  Maybe that one bite was all you needed?  There is no rule that we have to finish everything on our plates.

Here's my little party tip.  Don't grab a BIG plate, actually don't grab a plate at all if its nibblies.  I take only a napkin and I put one or two things on that napkin at a time.  Its a round about way to control portions.  I also do my best to be in a different room from the food or as far away from it as possible.  I find if I stand next to the nibblies, I start nibbling even though I don't really want the food.  Also take some gum with you.  Its hard to eat potato chips when you're chewing a piece of gum!