January 7, 2016: Weekly Weigh-In (Post Holiday)

It's the dreaded post holiday weigh-in...

I'm happy to report I didn't need to dread it AT ALL! I lost 1.0 pound this week for an overall loss of 0.6 pounds over the two week holiday period (I gained 0.4 over the week of Christmas). I will TOTALLY take it.

I worked really HARD this year to not go crazy and gain a bunch of weight over the holidays. I requested that my mom scale back on the cookie baking so she made 3 favorite treats this year instead of the usual 10. I volunteered to make an appetizer for Christmas Eve (Skinnytaste Artichoke Dip) and suggested we have a cold shrimp cocktail ring instead of chicken wings. I made A LOT of little choices each day that contributed to keeping my weight in control. I said no to many, many offerings of food and drink. I made sure to drink a lot of water throughout the day. I kept my "off-track" eating to certain times or parties and didn't use the holiday as an excuse to have unnecessary indulgent breakfasts or lunches "just because".

I didn't feel like I enjoyed my holiday any less because I wasn't stuffing my face 24/7. If anything, I'd say I enjoyed it more because I spent time with family doing things other than just eating. We played games, we went out in the snow, we watched football. Those are the things that make me happy when I remember this year's holidays...it wasn't about the food.

I would say that's the biggest thing WW and my weight-loss journey has taught me...that life isn't about the food. At my heaviest, food consumed my every thought...every second of every day was about food. I would be eating a cheeseburger thinking about the pizza I was going to eat later. I would be plotting how I could sneak snacks and hide the evidence so those around me wouldn't know how much or what I was really eating. It was absolutely exhausting.

I still struggle with some of those feelings. The cravings...the wanting to binge in secret. Unfortunately, I think I will always have those feelings on some level...but that doesn't mean I can't learn to control them or outsmart them.

Here's to another great week!