In Moderation, dang it

Ok, so I guess it’s “crunch” time. And I’m not talking about abs – although I probably should be. It’s that time of year where I have a choice to make: diet to lose weight for the holidays or wear big sweaters and enjoy the wonderful food coming my way.

It’s such a challenge – I mean how important is to for me to look good in my dress for New Years versus all the wonderful goodies that I only get once a year. Everywhere I read the buzz words seem to be “in-moderation”. Those that know me realize there is nothing “moderate” about me – but I guess it’s never too late to learn. But it’s so tough – I mean from here on out, I run into many chances for an eating frenzy – and the boundaries and self-appointed guidelines I try to give myself.

I start with Halloween. Do I eat the candy corn, Butterfingers and caramel apples – or skip the candy corn so I can have a Snickers Bar? Do I indulge in the party fare that includes extra chili with cheese and garlic bread and hot apple cider? With every bite, I vow I will walk an extra mile. (At some point in my life, anyway.)

Once Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is around the corner and I have to prepare – I mean it’s my job to sample menu items, and try out new recipes all of which contain sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie and apple pie. And that is just the sample menu. After Thanksgiving come the leftovers. And just when I think I may be sick of Turkey, the Christmas parties arrive and there is an array of cookies, cakes and homemade candies. I start salivating over potential Christmas Eve dinners and even try out a few ahead of time. I mean what is Christmas without baked ham, more turkey and mashed potatoes, homemade dumplings and noodles. Again with the pumpkin pie and apple pie and add now the pecan pie with whipped cream and even pumpkin cake and pumpkin muffins and pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing.

This time of year is not quite as pressing as the few months before summer and swimsuit time. And the fact that big sweaters and large coats are the norm during the winter months helps. The fact that it’s dark when I come home from work and immediately don my sweatpants doesn’t help…it’s the elastic waistband curse.

Reality is such that whatever I gain during the holidays will be the price I pay in March and April. My goal is moderation. Moderate sized sweat pants, moderate big sweaters and a moderate amount of Butterfingers, pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes. Add that to the moderate amount of times I think about exercising and “Presto”, I’ve got that magical “in-moderation” key everyone is talking about down pat. So for now, it’s only 2 bite-size Snickers bars for me…I still have to save some for the kids Trick-or-Treating. Or maybe it’s time they started learning about this “in-moderation” thing too.