It was the first weigh in of the New Year; I was nervous. Prior to leaving Maryland for the winter holiday season to visit family in Vermont, I had lost 11 of the 30 lbs that would put me at my ideal weight. I was still in Phase 1 of the diet and made sure to pack the car with as much Phase 1 food as possible in order to keep myself on track while I was away. For the most part during my time away I was able to stick to the diet, however, on Christmas Eve and Christmas there were traditional family dishes that I had to part take in so as not to offend various members of my family. When serving myself dishes I knew would be outside of the Phase 1 diet I made sure to limit my portion sizes. I also increased my raw vegetable intake in order to stay full and ensure my portion sizes would stay limited.
During our visit to Vermont there were several days of snowfall, this meant several days of trekking through the snow to go sledding with my 10-month-old son and plenty of time shoveling my father-in-law's driveway. There was also the matter of stacking firewood and bringing the wood from the stacked pile into the house to be used for warmth every now again. These physical activities along with chasing after and carrying around my increasingly mobile son helped to limit the impact that going off the diet had on me.
Imagine my surprise and relief when I stepped on the scale for my first weigh in after the new year and discovered that I had not gained any weight over the holiday! In fact, I had maintained the same weight I had prior to leaving for my trip and on top of it had lost several inches in my waistline! Increased physical activity during the holiday and portion control had helped me to stay on the path I needed to be on to be successful with my weight loss goals even though I had been unable to follow the Phase 1 diet as closely as I would have liked to.
So don't get discouraged if you are unable to follow the diet to a T during vacations you may take. As long as you maintain awareness of your portions and physical activity you can stay on track with your weight loss goals without a significant set back. In conclusion, enjoy your holidays and remember to Live Mindful!!