Handling Celebrations while Losing Weight

It is important to celebrate in life--achievements, family events, holidays--there are lots and lots of opportunities to celebrate.

For the person who is wanting to reduce their waistline, celebrations can be a big challenge because they usually revolve around food. Not involve food, revolve around food.

How do we survive these events? How about thrive through these events rather than just survive?

One crucial step is to be very conscious about what you are eating. Before, during and after the celebration.

Many times I have been to a celebration and "stuck to my diet", only to get home and eat the entire house. If not that day, within a week. Why? Because I felt deprived.

My philosophy is no food is off limits entirely. It is in my best health interests, long-term, to enjoy any food in small amounts, and to even pig out once in a while if I really want to. Because of this new outlook, I rarely feel the need to have the second piece of cake, or to sneak into the kitchen to grab a quick bite while no one is looking. I have given myself permission to eat--and so I feel much less the need to eat. And I'm very aware that there will be lots of opportunities to enjoy these and other foods later. No more "last bite" of anything!

When I am eating, I focus on enjoying the food.

The rest of the time I focus on the people. I make the celebration about the people I am with, not the food on the table.