Can I Rein It In?

Such a confident post a week ago. "I know what to do, now I just have to do it!"  But now we are in the eating season. This time of year is fraught with issues, all conspiring to whisper, "Go ahead, eat it".

The forces are aligned on this. First, the holidays for the next two months are about eating. From Halloween candy, three family birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, how can we not cook and eat together? Of course we will, this is part of what brings us together. Then there are all the other social occasions that ride alongside the major holidays. All get-togethers include food. Then there is the change of the seasons. The days are getting shorter, and with that comes a biological imperative to hunker down, build a layer of fat, and stop burning unnecessary calories because the body expects to be starving by spring. It's not so nice to go outside even in the scarce daylight, as it gets colder and grayer. Lastly, this time of year is fraught with emotional significance. If I'm sad, how about comforting me with apples? That is, apples baked with butter and brown sugar, served over cake with ice cream.

In this century, not once have I lost weight between Halloween and Christmas. Au contraire, my friends, I've usually decided the thing to do is maintain, and ended up in a gain. Faced with all these stark facts, what will I do?

This past week was not according to plan, though I don't regret everything. I had a small amount of Halloween candy (a waste), birthday cake (also unnecessary), and beer and fajitas (simply marvellous). The results are that today is 2 1/2 pounds higher than a week ago. But I spent way less time in the last week than previous ones planning for my eating and preparing food that I think I should eat. I also spent a lot more time sitting on my ass versus moving. Now, I have nothing prepared for the coming week, and I have a limited window to go get focused exercise before the press of the day overtakes me.

I think I have very flawed sense -  if I go off-plan, I shrug and go more off-plan.  Based on my reaction to the food I ate last week (some was worth it, some not) I think I should focus on specific events I will eat differently without going crazy, and try very hard to maintain the 100% on-plan when not at one of those events. I don't want to erode the discipline all over, but I do have to plan for some easy social encounters, where I should just go with what is available.

Tied to this planning and thinking is the clear understanding that it really is what I eat even more than how much that drives both the rest of my eating and whether my body will lose weight.  Four pieces of Halloween candy screw me up. No, it's not so very many calories, but it drives my blood sugar crazy. And it erodes the clear boundaries, and puts me in the territory of making decisions in moment - so very much harder than simply following rules. "I don't eat that" is easier than "how much can I eat".  So stay off the nibbling around the edges. Period.  Plan and prepare. Make rules and follow them.

How about the energy / moving side of the equation? What can I do about that? I don't know, except maybe right now I'll sign off and go move. No vows, no big declarations. Just move now, and see if I can keep moving over the next couple of months.