Friday Five: No Winter Weight Gain

It's late November and feasts and parties and dinners are on the docket for the next month. Last year, I managed to successfully keep losing weight through the winter, and if I could do that, there's no reason I shouldn't be able to maintain my current weight through these months.

Key components of my plan:

1. To constantly monitor my weight, stepping onto the scale at least every other day. If I see that number start to creep up, I will use my strategies to bring it back down- mainly keeping an eye on calorie intake.

2. Festive mixed drinks and spiked eggnog will abound, but I will stick to wine or beer (fewer calories). Except for hot chocolate with a little peppermint schnapps; I will definitely make an exception for that.

3. I will not feel obligated to eat. There was a time when I thought I should always take seconds, to show my host how good I thought everything was (even if I didn't really think so). Not anymore. I will not eat more of something just to be nice, even if someone nudges me with a plate of cookies- "Come on, take another." I am in control of what I eat, no one else. And if anyone if offended, well, that's just plain silly.

4. I will not load my plate with food I don't even care about. This kind of goes with the "I will not feel obligated to eat", but I thought I'd separate it as I realize now how much I used to do this. You know the buffet-style get-togethers, where there's a hodgepodge of food, some of it really good, a lot of it really bland? I used to just follow the crowd, filling my plate up with a little of everything. I was eating food I had no interest in. Nowadays, if I'm going to indulge a little, it won't be on food I don't care about. I will be choosy at the buffet, as the desserts will follow and I know I will want some of them.

5. I will continue to drink water like it's going out of style even though I find it harder to drink water in the colder months. Just last week I found myself hungry at a time I never usually am. The culprit? I hadn't drank enough water. I downed a bottle of water, and what do you know? I wasn't hungry anymore. It was a good reminder that thirst can often be mistaken for hunger.

Who's with me? We can do this!