Handling the Holidays While On A Weight Loss Journey

Holidays can be hard when you are eating healthy.  You get a million questions about why you eat what you eat, or don't eat what you don't eat, you get "helpful advice" left and right (and usually from the very people that really ought to be taking their own advice), you get guilt tripped to eat some things you know you shouldn't... etc...

Generally, there are two ways that people tend to go for holidays. 1) they decide to just enjoy the day and eat whatever they want, as much as they want. Or 2) they stay the course and do what they gotta do to crush their goals. (Tho sometimes, they might feel a bit deprived.)

Honestly, I've done both. I ate and ate and ate till I was stuffed. And I stuck to my plan and I felt so damn deprived. I'd damn near be whining in my head about all the yummy stuff that I couldn't have. Both of those ways just aren't any way to live. 

I was a bit worried about Easter dinner, but I decided to just make a plan and stick to it. Because going off plan would absolutely have left me feeling like hot dog crap. No good. I know my favorites/triggers, the ones that get me into trouble. So what did I do? I worked around it. I found substitutes that were better choices but beyond delicious and didn't leave me feeling deprived. 

I know that I love dips and cheese spreads. There were so many I could've made, but I decided on THIS ONE because it was just too freaking cute to pass up. And while I would've eaten a whole sleeve of crackers with it pre keto, I was actually more than satisfied eating it on my veggies. That's a win right there!

Mac and cheese or potatoes au gratin are huuuge triggers for me. If I eat them, no amount of will power can keep me from eating more and more and more.  So I made Loaded Cauliflower. And ya know what? It tasted like a cross between potatoes au gratin and twice baked potatoes (which is great cuz I'm not that fond of cauliflower) and was perfectly delicious and filling. It hit the spot just right. 

Dessert is another trigger for me.. I HAVE to have dessert at a holiday meal. So this year I opted for a Keto Pound Cake with a lemon glaze and topped with strawberries and whipped cream. It, too, hit the spot in all the right ways. 

So here I am, hours after dinner and dessert, still satisfied, and NOT feeling deprived. In fact, I'm feeling damn proud of the choices that I made. And I know that I am that much closer to making my goals a reality.