Planning for weight loss during the holiday season

My first post today gave me pause. I was down .8; expected to be down more, and had been quite good. What does the rest of the year hold for me? I pulled out the Jenny Craig 2009 Holiday Calendar, which Jean gave me at last week's session.

The calendar is designed to let JC clients plan ahead for the worst dieting time of the year (October through December). According to JC, most people gain 10 pounds during this time; conversely, JC clients "who attend six consultations from Nov. 15 through Dec 31" lose an average of 12 pounds during the holidays.

I know this to be true; back in Nov/Dec 2004, I lost weight on JC, and got down to 148.

Basically the 2009 Holiday calendar is a three-month calendar on legal-sized paper, designed to let you map out your schedule, etc., so you can plan ahead. So I just finished mapping out the rest of the year.

It doesn't look pretty:

• Oct. 15/16/17/18: parents in town; two dinners planned out, other misc. eating certain to occur. On the plus side, we're doing a 2-mile walk for lymphoma and leukemia on Saturday.

• Oct. 21: business lunch at work in fancy dining room. They have a delicious bete noire cake I'm drooling for. I practically can't NOT eat it since the meal is charged to our department! :-)

• Oct. 22: taking the day off to go to the movies and hang out with my unemployed husband.

• Oct. 23: Dinner at the Skyline Club before a play.

• Oct. 25: Dinner at friends' house.

• Oct. 30/31 & Nov. 1: Chicago for Halloween. Many pitfalls to avoid. The biggest is reverting like a child into gluttony for some yet-to-be analyzed reason.

• Nov. 4: Neighborhood cocktail party

• Nov. 12: Ladies book club w/cocktails and appetizers

• Nov. 25-29: Thanksgiving, either Indy or Chicago. We all know that's a minefield for everyone

• Dec. 11-19: Drive to Chicago, there for weekend, leave girls & dog there w/parents and fly to Key West w/Pat for five days. Then back to Chicago for weekend. I am sure there will be no margaritas drunk, or key lime pies consumed during this trip!!

• Dec. 22: (prepaid) pre-play appetizers and cocktails at IRT

• Dec. 24-Jan. 3: Some combination of Chicago and Indy

That's more than a MONTH of danger already scheduled out in an 2.5 month period!

Notably, this calendar does not yet account for the EIGHT days of vacation I have left for the year and have not yet taken. No vacation rollover policy here, folks.

I also know that one weeknight in the next two weeks I'll be at an evening function for the National Junior Tennis League of Indianapolis Board.

Plus, my husband is a big planner of events and dates, so there are still several untouched and dangerous weekends. But I really can't complain. It is nice to have someone who wants to do fun things. It is my responsibility to not let that be an excuse for overindulgence.

Oy.

So, after you fill out the calendar, Jenny asks you to "Make a Commitment to Reach Your Goals This Holiday Season!"

1. What are your holiday weight loss goals?

I've already decided that a realistic weight loss goal between now and the end of the year is 5 pounds. That would put me at just under 154.4 on the home scale. I can live with that. More than that and I am setting myself up for failure. It will actually be quite challenging. Especially as I expect Vivian will be weaning within a couple months.

2. On a scale of 1-5, how important is it to you to reach your goals?

I said "4". If I don't make any progress over the next 11 weeks, I know myself well enough to anticipate a major backslide. I didn't say "5" because I'm also happy where I am in many ways. Basically, I need a goal so that I don't backslide.

3. One new healthy behavior I will establish to help me reach my goals is:

Reincorporating exercise, but being realistic about what is feasible for me right now. I will exercise 2x per week.

4. Based on your experience, what obstacles could get between you and your goals this holiday season?

Alcohol at parties/outings, snacks and celebrations at work, unmotivated to exercise because of the dark and cold. Unmotivated to exercise because of laziness (let's be honest).

5. How can we support you to overcome those obstacles and reach your goals?

(I left this one blank because I thought it might be a bit cheeky to ask for a personal trainer)

Needless to say, mapping this all out has been useful, if daunting.

I'm already thinking about planning upfront for events, like bringing a travel-friendly JC meal with me to the movies with Pat, bringing a fruit or veggie tray to the dinner parties and book clubs already on the calendar. Part of the planning is simply steeling myself to the idea that eating out is NOT license to eat off plan or insensibly.

Key West will be hard. However, we will get TONS of walking in. So, one alcoholic beverage a day, and any dessert needs to be split. (I'm not really at the mindset where I can't partake in these things on vacation).

Having most of December off will be hard too. Too cold to go out and about, and no fixed work schedule to keep me busy and on track. I do have free memberships to JCC and Riviera Club, so I could go work out at a real live gym. That would be WILD!

Well, at least I know what I am getting myself into...