Headstart on the Holidays

Now you and I both know that when Autumn Calabrese of 21 Day Fix fame tells me during her 30 minute workout video, "Give me 21 days, and I'll give you the body you've always wanted," we both know she is talking to the folks who are trying to get rid of those last few pesky pounds, not people like me who spent three years binge-eating their way through ice cream and cookies every time life gave me an unexpected surprise. 

But, I'm an eternal optimist, so I remind myself that if I give her THIS 21 days, and the NEXT 21 days, followed by more sets of 21 days, consecutively, I will be much healthier than I am now. 

So I've made it through the first 21 days. And by the end of this week, I will have completed my second 21 days. It may sound strange, but I find myself in a very uncomfortable place because I've been here before.

This week, I made it to my first "10 pounds lost" goal. How many times have I lost these infernal ten pounds? I would weigh a negative number by this time, if I were to add them all together. I know me. The ten pound benchmark is where I usually relax, thinking, "I've got this. Look at me go. I should celebrate."

The difference is that I have had mini celebrations all along the way, and have still managed to keep the scales going in the right direction. Since October 30, there have been a few holidays and special days: Halloween, a week long vacation and two hard-core road trips to and from Utah, my birthday, Thanksgiving, my mom's birthday, and my father-in-law's birthday. Christmas is coming, and for once, I'm not in panic mode about gaining more weight.

Headstart on the Holidays came at the perfect time for me. I joined an accountability group at the end of October, and I am so glad I did. Not only have I had the tools to successfully navigate holiday meals, but I've also found tremendous support in taking care of myself through some stressful events, the most recent being the death of my father-in-law.

We all have different ways of dealing with stress, and my go-to coping mechanism in the past was to binge-eat my way through situations until I felt numb to the bad feelings. Perhaps that in and of itself isn't the worst thing to do, but stress isn't the only thing that triggers my eating. I eat when I'm happy or sad, or when I'm with friends or feeling lonely, or when I'm driving my car or sitting on the couch. You can see why my weight has been on an upward trend.

Personal development is one component of our Headstart group. For the last five weeks, I have enjoyed inspirational podcasts and videos, read good books, listened to soothing music, reached out to friends and family, written to process my feelings, and worked out five or six days each week. When Chuck asks how I'm feeling, I'm trying very hard to refrain from using the word FINE, when what I'm feeling is less than fine.

As far as eating goes, I'm learning that if I eat the nutritious food on my plan, there isn't much room for crazy amounts of indulgent treats. I've eaten more veggies in these last few weeks than I ever realized I could. I'm learning to take care of myself; making sure I'm doing the things that are important to me, and letting go of things that are not a priority.

Maybe you don't necessarily want to lose weight during the holidays, but you'd like to not lose control. The 21 Day Fix portion plan has been an a good reminder for me that I can eat anything I want; I just need to watch my portions.
 

For my birthday, I didn't want a cake, but I knew I definitely wanted ice cream. So my kids bought me some yummy Halo Top ice cream that is fairly nutritious, and very delicious. I had two small scoops so I could try two different flavors of ice cream, and I enjoyed every single bite of it. 

At Thanksgiving, I offered to bring a pan of roasted vegetables, and to keep things balanced, I also made my kids' favorite Ooey Gooey Pumpkin cake by Paula Deen. I loaded my plate with the veggies, and took a small spoon of all of the other things I love: turkey, sausage dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberry sauce. And after dinner, you can bet I ate a small piece of Ms. Deen's cake. 

Christmas is coming. I just plan to keep working out 5-6 days a week, and keep measuring out my food. We have family dinners to share with loved ones, and gatherings with friends. I will happily go, and enjoy myself; I just have to remember not to overdo it. 

Will I be eating Christmas cookies this month? Yes, I will. Will I partake in a holiday dinner with all the trimmings? Of course. Will I sample goodies at holiday parties? Yep. I just plan to eat as healthy as I can before and after any celebration. If I fill up on nutritious food beforehand, and have a plan to resume my eating plan afterwards, I am more likely to continue these healthy habits. 

Thank you for all of your support and encouragement. I am hoping this public accountability will help me stay the course. You know me; I'll let you know how it goes.