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Happy Holidays!

The holidays are here, but you don’t need to throw your food protocol out the window! Yes, you’re going out to eat, cooking, baking and attending parties, events and gatherings. But December doesn’t have to be an all out eat fest you regret on January 1st! When you see that holiday fudge, ask yourself “can I just have one bite instead of 3 pieces?” How about that cheesecake, can a small piece be enough? It can be if you decide it is. It’s been surprising to me that these once revered foods don’t hold the same appeal they used to now that I’ve lost weight. I’ve occasionally indulged in them only to find the taste is no longer worth the calories or even that they don’t agree with me anymore. I end up feeling a bit annoyed I wasted energy on them. But there are also times when the sweet tastes soooo good. And that’s OK. It doesn’t mean I’m going to trash my protocol. I enjoy the treat and move on. There’s no diet wagon to fall off of, we just follow a smart food protocol that fits into our lives as we want it to.

So here are some tips that might help you at the holiday buffet table:

• Scan for veggies, proteins and fats to fill up your plate with first. Cheese, anyone?
• Don’t get hung up on perfection, lean toward the lesser amounts of sugar and flour.
• Treat yourself by dipping the veggies in decadent onion dip instead of the usual no sugar Ranch dressing.
• Binge on shrimp and cocktail sauce! Completely on protocol and a special treat.
• Try to limit the number of times you tell yourself “it’s the holidays, I can go wild”. That kind of thinking will absolutely cause weight gain!
• Figure out which treat you’d like the most and just have that one. And enjoy the heck out of it!
• Don’t sit in front of temptation! Either move it away from you or move away from it. Go sit with someone you haven’t talked with in a while or go dance!
• Plan how you want to behave ahead of time, even if it’s just before you walk in the door. Shift your food decisions to your prefrontal cortex and keep your doggie brain at bay. You are the boss of you! Every little bit of sugar and flour you don’t put in your body is a win for you!

Remember this season is all about love – and that loving yourself is the most important thing you can do. It’s taken me years to realize this, but the food I give my body is how I love and take care of myself. Christmas cookies may be cute and taste good, but they have never loved me back!