Here we are, the week of Halloween and I'm getting anxious about my holiday eating. I should be worried; the most vulnerable time of year for me is the five weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years. Other than the year of my surgery, 2001, I have never been able to control my eating during this period. Some years I try harder than others to avoid the traps that lead me down the path of over eating, but let me address the post surgery era. Every year since 2001, I have slipped up during the holiday season, but last year, I went into Thanksgiving on cruise control - six months of perfect eating. No sugar, no cream-based foods, no white breads. Then, with two weeks left before the end of the holiday season, I convinced myself that I was so focused, I could have a piece of apple pie and a couple of chocolate covered pretzels and get right back on track. As usual, I was wrong. I had been wrong the last hundred times I told myself I could do this, so what made me think I would have different results this time?
As always, my plan for this year is to avoid those trigger foods that cause the problem of overeating. I know what they are and I am afraid of them because of what they can do to me. I have said it before, and I will remind myself again; it is a lot of work to stay focused and disciplined, but it is much more work to get back your focus once you lose it. I will keep you posted as I navigate through the mine field of the holidays. I can use all the help I can get, so please, if you have some ideas to share about how you handle holiday eating, I would love to hear them.