i turn my head up to the sky and focus one thought at a time

And so it begins, (officially; for me, anyways). The holiday season of parties and dinners. It is my family's Christmas dinner tonight, or should I say feast. I dread it every year. I want to indulge, but I want to restrict. I want to be merry and social, but I want to avoid the whole thing altogether. The angel and the devil on my shoulders are punching overtime, and I am at a crossroads. But I will survive, at least I always make it to the New Year no more worse for wear.

Thankfully, there are lots of tips floating around these days on how to politely decline those extra calories, and avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain. Here are a few of my tried and true tips:

1. Do not arrive to a meal/party hungry. Seriously, you are setting yourself up for disaster. Just eat a piece of fruit before hand, like a clementine. They are in season, full of fibre, and low calorie.

2. Keep yourself occupied, mind and body. Engage yourself in a conversation, a game, dancing, anything!

3. Keep your hands full. You can't reach for another cookie if you are holding a mug of hot tea, can you?

4. Leave the room where the food is. Staring at it only makes you look like a nutter, and sets you up for bad decisions. If it is a buffet, or there is a table with snacks, just get away from it.

5. Go for a walk. Not only will get away from temptation, you will burn off some calories while you are at it.

6. "I'm not hungry, thanks." Say it! SAY IT! Your brain will think you mean it, (which, of course, you do), and will stop pestering you to eat.

7. Bring your own food, so you have something "safe". Some fruit and veggies, air popped popcorn, diet soda. (In my experience, hosts NEVER buy diet drinks for mix).

8. Do at least a mini workout every day. A quick pilates routine, throw on some wild music and jump around. It will rev up your metabolism, suppress your appetite, and remind you of your ultimate goal.

9. Do not go back for seconds. You know what it tastes like. Oh, and take just a small bit at first.

10. Aim for maintenance, not weight loss. Yes, we would all like to lost another 5 pounds, but it's hard enough during the rest of the year. You have been working at this for the last 11.5 months. Take a breather.

I hope all you ladies have a lovely Christmas. And if you don't celebrate, then have a wonderful day tomorrow, regardless :) Stay strong and be merry.

PS: stillimagining, thank you so much for your note! Your support yanked me out of my funk and gave me a sharp slap across the face. Needless to say, I snapped out of it and am in control again. I am trying to be more mindful. I spend too much time searching, but I miss everything in life that I pass on the way to get wherever the hell I'm going. Thanks a million!