Be realistic

These last few days and the week ahead means we are spending more time often with family and friends and indulging  Let's be honest, at this time there are some of the best foods out there on offer whereever you go.  We are not going to deny ourselves and become miserable, and it's good to relax.  In order to gain one REAL pound of fat, we need to eat an additional 3600 calories.  That's quite a bit of chocolate and mince pies.  A mince pie will set us back approx 220 calories, but it is also filling and satisfying.  I say 'real pound of fat', because we have found we can go away, eat lots of heavier foods (such as pastry) and the scales show we've gained weight.  Yet, within a few days these mysterious pounds disappear.  We've put this down to water retention - that's all we think it can be, because we know we haven't eaten 3600 additional calories.  So now we don't panic and just let our body settle down first. 

We will be delighted to emerge from the festivities with a small weight gain, because we know this weight will soon disappear again.  During a successful year of weight loss, we found that the additional walking really did help.  So for my mince pie I could walk to the shops and back if that was a round trip of 2 miles or 20 minutes there ane back.  I did that yesterday!  OK I was a little strapped for time, but made the effort, blew away the cobwebs, saved petrol and added 200 calories to my 'calorie bank'.  Later in the day, mince pie and coffee in hand.......... I felt entitled.  If I don't get to add a bit of walking beforehand, I can always increase that activity in January, knowing that it really does work towards the weight loss.