Fall

Fall is tough for dieters and weight watchers. There are 4 holidays in just three months time that are very food centric. Sometimes its not easy setting boundaries. What I like to do is instead of eating foods that in reality are now available year round, I try to focus on my friends. I always have a glass of water with lemon or some tea. I don't eat the crudites because you don't really know whats in the dressings unless you made it yourself. The tip that has always been passed around is eat before you go. I use that technique myself. Something with healthy fats, protein and maybe a vegetable. Even a tart green apple can help (if you can tolerate that much carbohydrate.) The holidays don't have to be the end to your diet or a reason to just give up. If you have one or two parties this week you have some decisions to make, is there going to be a food stuff that you really want to eat? If not, then thats really not an opportunity or obligation to go off your diet. Instead, its an opportunity to engage others in conversation. Maybe this year you don't want to make lots of baked goods. If that is a problem for you consider using this time as an opportunity to stay focused. Try having a sugar free holiday and see if that doesn't help stave off some of those winter blues. If you aren't experiencing sugar crashes you will have more energy to go for walks, even on very cold days, getting outside can make the difference between a successful, on target on diet kind of day and an unsuccessful day that you need to undo in January.

What if you took on your New Year's Resolution now? Thats a powerful thought. Then come New Year's day, you wouldn't be starting, you would be continuing good habits. You could look at that day as a goal weigh in. Wow. Its kind of mind blowing. Taking back the power from the advertising that seems to push every single little sweet thing as though there would never be another pumpkin pie, turkey dinner or cranberry muffin.

Look at your body. What does your body need to be healthy? Is it asking to process sugar? Or are those cravings left over messages from your child self asking for fun? Is it ok to be adult and grown up about these things? Is behaving like an adult really the entre into our own fear of death? Setting aside our child like behaviors won't make the hands of time tick any faster.

Responsibility is not a four letter word. Growing up is only scary if you don't do it. Embrace your inner adult. Its there for you.

ok, I'm getting down off my soap box.