Christmas is coming and the goose is bound to get fat...or is she?

Well, here we are again closing in on Christmas and no doubt people are already planning their new year diet. It is the first Yuletide, probably for about 12 years, that I won't have that option - if I am to keep up all the good work that I've done with this diet-ditching malarkey.

I kind of feel slightly panicked. What will I do if I can't help but overeat over the festive season? In the back of my mind though, I am considering one probability.

Maybe I'm not actually going to feel the need to overeat this year, as much as I have done in the past? I mean, I've started to legalise so many foods that many of the ones I normally reserve for the special occasion of Christmas I actually won't feel as compelled to eat.

And maybe, because I am not considering having the 'safety net' of a new year diet (not that it ever lasted longer than a fortnight), I might just not pig out quite as much as I have done in the past (with the reasoning, of course, that "It's okay to eat double my body weight in Christmas pudding and brandy sauce, because I have my salad leaf and H2O plan to look forward to come January 1st").

So, I'm treating this Christmas as another phase in my experiment. I refuse to be 'scared' about how I might cope with the masses of food because I can just use some of my new skills as much now as I have done over the past few months.

I will remember that there is not one food at Christmas that I cannot eat at any other time of the year - and I will choose only those that I truly love to eat. Anyhow, as it happens I've had one mince pie a day for about the last three weeks, so I'm already half fed-up of them!

Comments

[lisa jane]

Just try and relax and have a bit of fun with it.that"s my plan anyway.

Think of in terms of balance.It simply doesnt feel good to stuff oneself with rich foods and blob around for the rest of the day.

I am hoping to be very mindful and stay active.I want to feel good this christmas mind,body and soul.Balance the food with activity the alcoholic beverages with water,the frantic family chaos with quiet time,the late nights with naps,the bickering with hugs.

[Audrey Boss]

Sounds like you have a plan Andrea, and a good one too! Remembering that you can eat all these whenever you want is crucial. And so is knowing that you won't be rushing into a diet on 1st January, so there's no need to make up for future deprivation!

Just one thing: if you DO find yourself having a second helping of Christmas pudding and you know you're more than satisfied, or if you just can't resist another helping of roast potatoes, remember that it's OK. It's fine, sometimes, to conciously decide that at this one meal, you WANT to get up groaning and having to undo a button. And what better meal to do that than Christmas lunch? Give yourself permission to really enjoy the food. And if this happens more than once, be kind to yourself. Remind yourself that you are making important changes in changing your relationship with food and that Christmas and New Year can be quite stressful and that you are coping as best as you can, the best way you know how...for now.

Have a wonderful Christmas...I'm off to have a mince pie!

[lisa jane]

Merry christmas lovely lady!!!!!Hope you have a fabulous time.I think the new year holds beautiful things for us :)

[Andrea Wren]

Thanks Audrey - great advice. I do admit I was in the groaning stage a little more than planned, especially our Christmas Eve meal which really does have foods we don't have at other times of the year! Reading your comments here though reminds me again not to be too hard on myself for overdoing it a little.

[Andrea Wren]

Lisa - hope you had a lovely time! Happy new year to you and best wishes for 2007! Axx