PointsPlus Virtual Meeting (Dec 1-7): Surviving December

**What is your goal for December? (Lose weight, maintain, small weight gain, start again in January?)

My goal is to continue to lose weight this month, but I will be satisfied if I don't gain.

**What does your December schedule like?

December is full of special occasion eating, which makes my goal challenging, but not impossible. I know this because for the years between 2011 and 2017, I lost and then maintained, not only through the holidays, but through my dad's hospitalization and death in 2012, a daughter's wedding in 2013, DH's illness and surgery in 2017 and numerous other life events (both happy and sad) and holidays. It CAN be done, so I need to stop making excuses.

**What are some tips you have for succeeding during the holidays?

1) Concentrate on the reason for the season. Seek out ways to deepen your faith and give your time and talents to others and enjoy being with those you love. At parties and celebrations, focus on the people, the music, the decorations,not the food. Let "perfection" go and be content with "enough".

2) Enjoy the special foods and drinks that you love and mostly have only during the holidays, just be careful of the amount and frequency. Remind yourself that this is not the last time you will ever have that food. Eat slowly and really savor the taste. I love eggnog and I will find a way to fit in 1/2 glass every now and then over the next month. Pralines and hog cracklings are other things I usually eat only at this time of year and only 1 or 2. If you cannot limit the amount, don't bring it into your house, but do enjoy it at a restaurant or party.

3) Pay attention to your sleep and your exercise program. It is very important to your mood and stress level, as well as your overall well-being not to be over-tired or sluggish. Fresh air, exercise and regular sleep are essential to staying on track. When tired or stressed, it is difficult to stay on program and easy to overeat.

4) At parties, survey all the food, choose 3-4 items you want and have a Tbsp. or two. Fill the rest of your plate with fruit & vegetables. If you want seconds, choose only 2-3 items and have no more than another Tbsp. of each. Desserts are limited in the same way. Then, STEP AWAY FROM THE FOOD. Go into another room or area if at all possible. Out of sight, out of mind.

5) Do your very best to track every bite, lick and taste, even if you have to estimate what a dish contained. Chances are you may not be as far off track as you feared, but even if you are, it is best to know how far off. Maybe some extra exercise or creative zero-point meal planning will help even things out. For the same reason, DO NOT SKIP WEIGH IN. You can't change the past, but you can definitely shape the future. Avoiding the scale is a slippery slope that often leads to major program backslides.

**This Week’s Routine: Eat breakfast everyday

I am not, and never have been a big breakfast eater. I struggle with this, but at the very least will have 1 C. of ff milk.


**This Week’s GHG: Sugar and Alcohol: Limit your intake. Both contain empty calories. Avoid processed foods with added sugar. And experts recommend no more than one serving of alcohol per day for women, and no more than two per day for men.

I do really well with avoiding processed food. I despise frozen dinners and avoid boxed foods almost totally. I do okay with sugar, though I enjoy a piece of dark chocolate nearly every day. I do love alcohol--wine, beer, bourbon,vodka, whatever-- however, and struggle sometimes. In the south Louisiana culture, alcohol is served at most social functions. I have to remind myself to get a glass of water or diet drink, so that I have something in my hand most of the time to sip from. This helps me keep from over indulging and keeps the host/hostess from getting me an additional drink.

**Meal of the Week: Breakfast
What are you having for breakfast?

Sometimes, I just have a cup of milk in my mug(s) of coffee. Fruit and yogurt with flax/chia seeds or granola is my go-to, though I enjoy cheese grits, oatmeal with fruit or a toasted light English muffin with ham & cheese. On Sundays, I sometimes have a brunch of scrambled eggs with ham & cheese in them, toast & butter and grits which generally holds me until dinner with only a small snack in between.

Answering these questions is a good reminder to focus, focus, focus.

- What is your goal for December? (Lose weight, maintain, small weight gain, start again in January?)

My goal for December is to continue to follow my plan and to try not to go over. I have committed to this until the new year and want to see how well I can do. I do not have any specific weight loss goals, as I prefer to focus on behaviours.

- What does your December schedule like?

Not too bad this year. I had my work party already and I have an industry party this week, as well as a trip home to exchange presents. I'm missing my cookie exchange this year because I won't have a sitter. My in-laws will be coming Dec 24-26, but we don't usually overindulge. I'm thankful that I no longer work at my old job, where we had 4-5 parties each year.

- What are some tips you have for succeeding during the holidays?

Just keep plugging along and plan ahead! Also, go easy on yourself; it's a tough time of year for many and if you overindulge, forgive yourself and move on.

This Week’s GHG: Sugar and Alcohol: Limit your intake. Both contain empty calories. Avoid processed foods with added sugar. And experts recommend no more than one serving of alcohol per day for women, and no more than two per day for men.

I don't drink a lot of alcohol anymore, so I usually only have it when I have an event.  I tend to eat a lot of sugar; I am working on cutting out mindless treats, so that when I have sugar, it's a conscious decision.

Meal of the Week: Breakfast

What are you having for breakfast?

This week I made muffins, so breakfast will be a muffin most days.

What is your goal for December? (Lose weight, maintain, small weight gain, start again in January?)
- My goal is to lose, but I will be okay with a small gain. Depends on the week.

What does your December schedule like?
- I have 3 dinners this month. I work from home and some of my co-workers and I are meeting at Hoss' Steak House for a get together since we do not normally get to see each other. One meal will be at my mom's and sister's church. I also attend TOPS and we are having a dinner which from what I am hearing will not be a TOPS or Weight Watchers friendly meal. Yikes. That is the only one that I am a little nervous about. I will just try to eat less and exercise more the week before and the week after (we meet on Mondays).

What are some tips you have for succeeding during the holidays?
- Track and pre-track. I try to pre-track whenever I can. Makes it much easier to either know what I have left points wise to spend on the other meals.

This Week’s Routine: Eat breakfast everyday - Got this one.

This Week’s GHG: Sugar and Alcohol: Limit your intake. Both contain empty calories. Avoid processed foods with added sugar. And experts recommend no more than one serving of alcohol per day for women, and no more than two per day for men. Sugar is something I need to try to limit. I do not drink alcohol, so that one is not an issue for me.

Meal of the Week: Breakfast

What are you having for breakfast? I swap two breakfasts. Oatmeal one day and Light English muffin with either Laughing Cow cheese or PB2 and Canadian bacon. Though, this morning was to be an English muffin breakfast and my English muffins were moldy. I was running late, so I made Fat Free plain Greek yogurt with thawed frozen unsweetened cherries and a glass of fat free milk.

sunshinep396, That's amazing! Great job!