The Eating Season

The Eating Season begins now, with Halloween candy, and continues through birthdays, Thanksgiving, holiday parties, Christmas, and ends on New Year's Day.  Last year, I didn't handle the Eating Season very well.  I just ate. I started with Halloween candy - I kept it around the house instead of taking it all to work as soon as the holiday was over. And I only buy candy I like.

The only way to deal with this is to have a plan. During The Big Loss, I actually started seriously dieting in October and was down ten pounds by New Years. That year, I simply had a rule. I was following the strictures of the Carbohydrate Addict's diet and the rule was: I could eat anything I wanted, but only within an hour of starting my balanced evening meal.  Very odd rule, but it really worked for me. I saved sweets from holiday parties and would eat - but not all evening. Just the one sweet, and be done.  The rest of the day I was strictly no-carb.

I can start with a rule like that, and see where it takes me. I haven't been no-carb at all this year, though generally low-carb every day. Today, for example, I had cottage cheese for breakfast, a fancy salad of greens, mushrooms, nuts and turkey for lunch (from the terrific new fleet of food trucks that come round - more on that another time), and taco salad for dinner, with lettuce, meat, a few beans, cheese, and salsa. Oh, I need to admit the oreos from the vending machine in the afternoon were not a very low-carb choice.

I have two weak points in my days. At work, I hit a slump in the little Window of Circadian Low around 3:30 every afternoon. I get mouthy, and I want something to eat. I am trying to divert to fancy water or hot tea, but today I found the quarters and went down to the vending machines. Often, I have nuts and rarely, an apple instead. The second weak point is after supper, where I have a little sweet in the tradition of my after dinner treat during the Big Loss, but recently I don't stop. Thirty-five calorie chocolate squares can add up after a while to really significant calories.

So for Halloween, I will buy the candy on Saturday. I won't be going to work the day after Halloween, so I need a different plan to get rid of it without eating it all. I suppose I could consider buying candy I don't like, but that just isn't my style. I can't imagine the kids liking something I don't like, so I can't offer it up.

The two days after Halloween will require some thought, some planning to have easy grabs of healthy food. Not going to work and having less structure in the midst of stress is not a successful formula. I'll have to plan things to do that will keep me moving as much as possible.

I can't think beyond that. Let's get through the next week and then worry about the birthday party the following Saturday.