Friday, November 30, 2012

The Ten Pounds of Christmas


The Ten Pounds of Christmas




            I gain ten pounds every year at Christmas.
How is that possible? It’s easy. I start in October. Then I struggle to take off my “Christmas fat” in January and February.
            This shameful acquisition of the bulge begins in October with Halloween candy. (And I don’t have small children to blame its presence on.) October is candy month. Any candy that comes into this house during October is for yours truly.
Then there’s snacking during football games—an annual ritual—the home team couldn’t win if I weren’t encouraging them in front of the TV with the cheers of my crunching.
            In November I vow that I will NOT gain weight over the holidays this year. But, having made that vow, the terror of holiday goodie deprivation niggles at me. The only cure for this tweak of conscience is—guess what?—a bowl of buttered popcorn and the last of the Halloween candy.
            Then comes the mother of all eating events, Thanksgiving. It would be a sin to diet on Thanksgiving, wouldn’t it? How else would I show my thankfulness except by indulging in everything the buffet has to offer? Someone went to a lot of trouble to cook all that goodness; it would be rude to pass it up.
            I hardly need to remind you what December brings. But I will: parties, Christmas cookies on display everywhere I go, gifts of home made treats, boxes of fudge and chocolates . . . the list goes on.
            I’m not sure January would be the same without digging out my “fat” clothes, bemoaning my food transgressions of the previous ten weeks, and joining a diet group for the umpteenth time. It’s all part of the post-holiday depression syndrome, that and the drifts of snow that nearly cover our west-facing windows.
Forgive me if you’ve seen this blog before. Yes, I posted it last year and did a weekly add-on until the second week of January. The reason for this repetition? It worked! I gained a mere ½ pound last year. So, hopefully, along with this blog and my weekly trip to TOPS, I can do it again this year.
The holiday season is especially hard for writers. Not only do we have to find time for all things holiday, we frantically try to keep up with our writing and all the things that accompany it. And what’s the easiest cure for stress? Food, of course. Much easier to grab a bag of chips than go for a walk in the frigid air, right?
So please join me for tips, camaraderie, and friendly banter. Together we’ll keep our writing up and our weight down!

Tip of the week:  Dealing with leftovers.

If you're the hostess, be armed with stacks of plastic containers. They're inexpensive, and you can box everything up and send it home with your guests. Be assertive!
If you're stuck with rich goodies, and don’t want to eat them, freeze it or throw it out. But make sure it’s in the garbage with something disgusting enough to prevent retrieving it in a moment of mad craving!

Dear readers,
I plan to continue blogging on the holiday weight-gaining dilemma weekly. Each week I’ll add a new tip on how to buck holiday weight gain. This will be the second year of the series. It really helped me last year, along with joining TOPS before, rather than after, the holiday season. I plan to have another no-weight-gain holiday season. Please join me.
Till next week,
Marla

10 comments:

  1. Writer Dave Here.
    My how time flies! Here we are at gorging time again! I love it!
    More hints and tips on eating to much from the lady that has FATTENING in her blog title!!!
    Marla, keep up the good work and count your calories!
    Take Care, and I hope you can find me a funny Christmas card!
    Your Friend,
    Writer Dave

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Dave,
      Thanks for stopping by! Yes, every year I struggle not to gain weight over the holdiay
      season! I did well last year, and hoping to do it again.
      I'll be spending time searching for the perfect card!
      Marla

      Delete
  2. Don't feel bad, I completely understand! It's nearly impossible to not eat over the holidays, especially Halloween and Christmas, when food is just too tempting. I'm sure I'm packing on a few pounds while writing my latest Christmas novel. :)

    Best,

    Alexandra~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Alexandra,
      You're right. Novel writing makes weight watching very difficult.
      As if the temptations of the holidays weren't enough! Good luck with
      the novel,
      Marla

      Delete
  3. I went on a 6-week vegan experiment this fall and managed to avoid the Halloween Fat Fest. Took a Thanksgiving break and am back on it. Oh Christmas--cookies, nog and weinies rapped in carbs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! You are dedicated. Not much you can eat as a vegan. I've often thought if I had to I
      could be a vegetarian, but giving up dairy would be really tough. You must have lost a lot
      of weight.
      Take care, Julie, hope you make it through the holidays,
      Marla

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  4. Don't start too hard, and don't feel bad about the big days! It's a rookie mistake to drop everything. Remember; you can afford to eat big a few days each month if you cut all the snacking in between! Snacking is the devil! :-P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right Robert! It never pays to beat up on yourself for indulging. The trick is to get back to reasonable and healthy eating the next day! Hard to do when you love rich food. That's pretty
      much what I've been doing. I can't lose weight in the long haul if I give up everything I enjoy!
      Have a wonderful Christmas season,
      Marla

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  5. Great Post! And timely too... such an issue for this time of year. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to maintain
    weight that I have found is to fast in-between indulgences. For example, if you have 3 days of big meals ahead
    of you - take a day before and a day after to just drink water.

    This serves a greater purpose as well - give your digestion a mini break and keep you on track (or in control) and feeling better about what you have eaten. I also push myself to walk outside after my meals - even for a short time, to keep those digestive juices flowing...

    I think you have half the battle won here - you have a plan and are already taking steps to combat excesses. All great,

    April

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi April!
      So happy that you enjoyed reading my blog! I belong to TOPS and have a tendency to eat a lot the first two days after weigh'in, then eat lean the rest of the week. I don't think I've ever tried fasting, but that sounds intriguing to try thea day before weigh-in!
      Always hard to stick to any plan! Just got back from a two-day trip to Milwaukee and had a hard time traveling without snacking! But did it. We have to credit ourselves for our good choices!
      Have a happy, healthy, Christmas season,
      Marla

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