December 4th, 2015
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katie lee kitchen

 Photo Courtesy of Katie Lee Kitchen

Oh my goodness! A few days ago, I looked in the refrigerator and spied the last containers of homemade mashed potatoes and stuffing and I couldn’t take it anymore.

I hate to waste food yet I had to throw the rest of the Thanksgiving leftovers away!  I know I overindulged over the holiday and it was yummy and fun but it also is time for the food party to stop.

But it’s really hard, right?  I know it is for me.  Maybe it’s a little easier for you.  I definitely like to think you have more self-control than I do.

Tasting and preparing the traditional dishes of Thanksgiving really delivered me to a first class seat on the sugar and carb train and now, over a week later, I am finding it difficult to hop off and change directions and go healthy.

Especially now that the season of Christmas and all it’s homemade cookie glory is here!

This past Sunday, I was at a home craft show and a great friend of mine — who also happens to make the best cookies ever — was serving her extra thin chocolate chip cookies along with powered almond delights.  Truly irresistible!!

How am I supposed to walk away from those sugary goodies?

Then yesterday at the office, a colleague bought me a small box of Godiva chocolates.  Please, no.  If you really want to thank me for doing something, flowers are always the way to go.  I’m trying to be good about taking in too many sweets.

It’s so easy isn’t it to say to yourself, “I’m only going to have one,” and then four or five of something scrumptious later, I realize I am out of control.  This is me with chocolate and potato chips, especially Ruffles.  And M&M’s.

Another strategy I frequently try to use when I am shifting my holiday eating from junky to wholesome is to stand up and just get moving so I can burn it off.

I remind myself to get up from my desk and move around.  Go outside, breath in some necessary and much needed fresh air and walk as far as I can on lunch break.  Sometimes these walks also help me sort through some of the things that are happening during the work day.  I find it’s a good way to refocus, refresh and mentally saying bye-bye to negative thoughts.

During the holidays, I find that trying to stay in good health is a constant balancing act of taking in nutritious foods and totally pumped up, over-the-top holiday treats.  Some days I’m headed in the right direction and other days I am way off course.

Some days I have the power to say “no” and walk away from unhealthy food and then other days I unfortunately use food to soothe my stressed out nerves.

But it’s all good and even okay, for during the holiday season there is always hope no matter what is happening.  Always, always!

Even though this year it feels harder to turn my eating habits around, I have to admit I have been in this place before and somehow I always manage to push myself away from the refrigerator or the dining room table. It’s just seems to be taking A LOT more effort and A LOT more will power as I get older.

Getting rid of those unwanted pounds takes focus — and time — and with a little more thought and a little more self-control, I know you and I can change it up and carry on to a better, healthier place!

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