Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable weekend.

I had planned to go to our local Elks Lodge for New Year's Eve Prime Rib and Cracked Crab feast, but I started coming down with a head cold on Friday.  Probably for the best, as I could stay on my diet, but unfortunately, lying low for the weekend hasn't made me feel any better, with respect to the cold.  If anything, it is getting worse.

I am eating health-fully and hope to start feeling better soon.  Here is the last few days of my food log:

Thursday:	Calories	Protein
Cheerios & 2% milk	136	6.3
cup of tea with sweetner and milk	20	1
1 fried egg	92	6.3
1 whole wheat english muffin	100	7
shepard's pie with ham	720	72
white grape juice	120
total	1188	92.6
Friday:
Herbal tea	6	0
white grape juice	120	0
left over shepards pie	360	36
tomato and pepper bisque	300	4
lobster tail	100	24
3 glasses sparking wine	234	0.6
Total	1120	64.6
Saturday:
English Muffin with Almond Butter	200	9.5
GF International Coffee	70	0
leftover shepherd's pie	360	36
steak & sauteed zuchini	403	53.2
2 glasses of sparkling wine	156	0.4
Total	1189	99.1
Sunday:
Cheerios & 2% milk	136	6.3
Eggs Benedict with hash browns	1000	43
Chicken Spinach Penne Soup	280	12
Slice of Multi Grain Toast	110	4
Herbal Tea	6
Coffee with Milk and Sugar 2 cups	140
Total	1672	65.3

Happy Thanksgiving! Weight Watching Tips for the Holiday Season

Thanksgiving is two days away, and many dieters face the anxiety of all the food that will be available at family gatherings.  They aren't wrong.  Studies have shown that people tend to add one to two pounds of weight between Thanksgiving and New Years.

What to do then?  Here are some tips to keep in mind for sticking to your diet during the holidays

1) Stick to your same breakfast and lunch.  If you go out for a big brunch or a big lunch, you are going to have to cut way back on your holiday dinner.  To not offend Aunt Verdell by not eating the sweet potato fluff at dinner, don't blow out your calories at brunch earlier in the day.

2) Mind your cocktails.  Yes, alcohol makes the holidays more festive for many, but alcohol represents empty calories.  Many cocktails contain hundreds of calories each (margaritas, in particular), so sticking to wine spritzers and continuing to drink water throughout the day will help to reduce total calorie consumption at parties and family gatherings.

3) Remember how to portion out your plate.  Although there are many yummy starch side dishes during the holidays, your plate should be allocated 25% meat, 25% starch and 50% salads and green side dishes.  You can have a small taste of everything on the holiday table and not blow your diet if you keep your perspective on your plate and how much of each food group you are eating.

Enjoying the holidays and all they have to offer does not mean having to move up a pant size in January if you take a few steps early on to be mindful of how you are eating and drinking.  Happy Thanksgiving!