Merry Christmas to All

I hope that everyone is able to spend today with family friends and loved ones of all kinds. My family celebrated Christmas Eve last night. We went to my aunt and uncle's house. It was the first time in years that we were able to get everyone together. Both sets of aunts and uncle's were there, along with all of my cousins on my mom's side. My grandparents were there too along with my uncle's parents, brother and niece and nephew. It was pretty exciting to have everyone there. Even both of my siblings were there. So all in all it was a great evening :)

My Crazy Aunt Linda decided to put 
her "Ho-Ho" table decorations in my hair.

Instead of having a big meal for everyone to fill up on my aunt had snack type food. There were plenty of options, some were really good for you and some were really bad for you. I did good to fill my plate with mainly fruits and vegetables, getting only a few crackers with meat and cheese. I was really proud and then I saw the dessert table.

Lucky for me I'm not crazy about cookies (unlike my niece) so it was pretty easy for me to only have one sugar cookie (which was actually pretty amazing) and one little piece of peppermint candy. At the end of the evening I was so proud of myself for not eating all of the bad for you stuff that I felt pretty good with myself!

Overall this Christmas break I have been able to see some people I haven't seen in a long time, including one of my best friends who I hardly ever see because she is off on the east coast being a smarty in law school. One of the biggest problems with getting together with people is that, that normally consists of meeting someone for lunch or dinner. If there are enough people that you haven't seen in a long time you not only end up spending a ton of money, but you also end up packing back on the lb's that you've worked so hard to get rid of.

What I suggest is know the menu to where you're going to go that way you're prepaired to make a better decision before you get there. Eat an apple 15 minutes before you get there and don't be afraid to get a to-go box (heck it's the Christmas season, everyone's broke, so this isn't only smart for your figure it's also more economical). If it is going to be a big group go ahead and eat your meals as you normally do saving a few calories for a side salad or nothing at all (it's OK to just go and get something to drink, or split an appetizer with a friend). When your friends ask you why you're not eating simply explain to them that you have already eaten and you are there because you have missed them and wanted to go ahead and catch up. The important thing is to stand firm. Another great tip is to be sure to write down what it is that you ate and keep track of it in your calorie intake for the day. Everything I've read says to keep a food journal so everyone must not be wrong. There's probably something to it. If you are having a get together, prepare a healthier option so not only will you know that there will be something there for you to eat, but also so that you can share good things with your friends.

If you have any tips about how to avoid packing on extra pounds during the holiday season please feel free to tell me! Merry Merry Christmas to you all :)