December is not going to be an easy weight loss month.

I am maintaining this December but last year I was still losing. I got through the holiday party season up exactly one pound- not too bad, I thought. especially because I was on vacation for one of the weeks!

My strategy last year was to maintain. Instead of being in a calorie deficit, I upped my goal on MFP to maintenance which gave me extra calories every day. I didn't always use them but it gave me more wiggle room without trashing all of my hard work. I viewed it as essentially putting my weight loss on pause for a few weeks. Immediately after New Year's, I got right back to my calorie deficit and actually reached my goal just after that!

Between multiple holiday parties, vacation, visiting family, I knew it was in my best interest to be proactive in figuring out how to manage the onslaught of extra food. Also, throwing in extra exercise whenever humanly possible will also help!

I get through it by basically not participating. I think it takes a certain mentality and not everyone is geared for it. I just don't care what people think. I look at all the fat people circling all the food and cake and things and I just think to myself, "that's why you're all fat", and it totally turns me off from wanting to be part of that. It also makes me feel strong by being different and not being a drone. But, again, you have to be an individual and not part of the crowd or group. It's hard to do for many people, or probably most people. I'm just odd enough where I don't really care much about what people think. I was asked yesterday why I wasn't having cake. I just said I try to not eat that kind of stuff. Comments ensued, and I just walked away once it calmed down. I think people try to push you to particiate because people are instictively herds. They want to be together and participate in things together, and if you don't participate, you are outcast.

That's OK. I like being lean and fit and feeling good in my clothes. I like being able to run and jump and lift heavy things. I like not having back problems anymore. I like getting out of bed now without any pain. I enjoy being able to walk up 4 flights of stairs with barely even getting any heavy breath going at all, while people around me are dying, they can't even talk they are so out of breath. I enjoy chosing my foods, and not having them chosen for me. I enjoy sleeping well, and feeling good all the way around. Those things are far more important than letting other bully and badger me into unhealthy activites.

...just my $.02

If you enjoy all thoe activites, please, by all means, enjoy it. But, I have learned that while it's fun to participate, the downside is the weight gain adn the guilt and the feeling bad later on. I think forward to that, and it stops me.

Holidays/Celebrations are harder for me - my mind and emotions automatically link the food with the good feeling around the event.

So, this year I am working hard on separating the two. Please don't read that as deprivation though.

My mental approach is that I want to step out of the moment at least every 30 minutes to take a minute to reflect on all the non-food happiness. Children laughing, carols playing, warm fire burning, the smell of the fresh Christmas tree, the reflection of all the ribbons and wrapping. I want to log all of the things about this season that are completely separate from food....mentally.

As for my eating approach, I will log everything. I will not graze between meals - just because someone has put out a plate of chocolates does not mean that I must eat them. I will only eat off of a plate - so, if food is laid out, but no plates to be had, I won't nibble, but will instead add a treat or two to my plate at the meal.

And finally, I will not let myself feel guilty if things don't go 100%...since when does life ever go 100% as planned anyway. So, if I pop a chocolate in my mouth without thinking, so be it.