When the 7 & 4 Healthy Challenge came about, it just never clicked that I would be embarking on this through the holidays. And, once it did dawn on me? I ran the other way screaming.
Just kidding – I only did that in my head.
But seriously what was I thinking? I love this time of year – the warm home, the decorations, the cookies, the family bonds that are forged, the Russian tea cakes, the stuffing, the… ok, you get the picture. This is the time of year I thrive in the kitchen and naturally a few samples of the cooking are a must! So how on earth was I going to maneuver the holidays while still losing weight? How was I going to fight temptation?
It is simple. I didn’t fight temptation! If I wanted something, I allowed for it.
That is the really great thing about Weight Watchers – if I know something is coming up like a holiday party or if birthday cake is on the horizon, I can have it! I just adjust my day, or my week accordingly and party on. Weight Watchers not only gives you a daily amount of “points” but it also gives you a slush fund of weekly points you can use as you wish.
So, that is what I did! In fact, I have used this to my advantage every week even when there isn’t a holiday. I allow myself one day to eat as I want. And, you know what? I indulge but I’m still making better choices than before. A couple weeks ago we had homemade pizza night and I enjoyed my own spinach, mozzarella and tomato pizza that I made myself!
For Thanksgiving I didn’t want to feel “robbed” of a good meal. I mean, let’s face it, the meal is the physical representation of our thankfulness, so really I was just doing my part by enjoying the meal! There were a couple things I did to curtail the effects of all that goodness, though. First, I made the old favorites like stuffing and mashed potatoes, but with some dishes like the sweet potatoes and green beans, I made a lighter version that actually ended up tasting better! Second, I watched my portions! Taking just a few minutes to really measure my food has played a significant role in how I’ve done on Weight Watchers so far.
Don’t be fooled, though – I did enjoy my desserts, just less of them. And, at the end of the day, I did go over my point allowance, but I was covered because I had extra in the weekly kitty J
So, what about you – how did you do for Thanksgiving? If there was one small thing that you could change in your daily life, what could you do? Practice portion control? Take out a little sugar in your diet?
