I was chatting with my trainer at the gym this morning and she was disappointed in herself because she had been eating so much sugar over the holidays.  Yes, it can be an issue for everyone, whether they have the perfect body at the perfect weight or are someone on their journey after weight loss surgery.

So, the holidays are over.  How did you do?

1. Were you one of those who managed to totally avoid any off plan eating?  If so kudos to you! 
2. Were you one of those who allowed some of the holiday treats into your life, noticed some changes in the way you felt, and the way you thought?
3. Were you one of those who threw caution to the wind, and just ate or drank whatever was put in front of you?

I suspect that the majority of us are in the #2 category.  I sure am, and this is what I noticed:

• My body hurt more, my energy levels were low, and I was waking up depressed - instead of anxious to create my day.  Nothing I put on felt good, and I was beginning to allow self-sabotaging thoughts into my head.  I even had a few - WHY ME? moments, thinking I was somehow being victimized by life.

A day or two of that I was DONE!  I took stock of my “living” for the past few days and noticed that processed foods and lots of carbs were all around me, and somehow finding their way into my stomach.

Next step - do I choose a “diet” to put myself on?  NO - diets NEVER work for the long term, whether they are restricted calories, restricted foods, or a combination of the two.  I had been consuming more calories than typical for my lifestyle, so I had to dial it back, or the weight would begin to pile on - right?  That’s certainly true, but I wasn’t going to suddenly restrict myself to 800-1200 calories a day, because I knew it would not work for me.

I bit off a small piece of the “elephant” and switched to eating whenever I felt hungry, with one noticeable difference from the days before - IT HAD TO BE FIRM PROTEIN AND/OR FIBER RICH.  So, you see I gave myself permission to eat all day long, if necessary, because when you think about it, just how much chicken or beef or fish or raw broccoli or Brussel Sprouts could one weight loss surgery patient eat?

This is how I begin to do a reset on my body and my brain.  It works…  I also move on to make sure I am getting in all of my water - at least 64 ounces, but preferably 80 ounces, for me to feel balanced and my digestive system to operate at a peak efficiency, if you get my drift.

Another small bite of the elephant, as it may take a couple of days to get back into sync.

The hunger and sweet cravings are beginning to go away, and if I make sure my frig, freezer, and cupboards are free of the culprits, it’s much easier to grab a bottle of water, a cup of herbal tea, or a cheese stick than a handful of tortilla chips or cookies - IF there are no chips or cookies around.

Next, I take the time to plan my meals and make sure I have all the ingredients on hand.  This is pretty simple since I never stopped planning meals, I would just consume crap in between.  With my meals planned, my water or herbal tea on hand, and my protein snacks available I was not consumed by thoughts of sugar plum fairies, See’s Candy, New York bagels, or pecan pie that would be sitting in my kitchen shouting my name day and night.

Now that I have taken that elephant, and broken it down into several single bites I can embrace it, and get myself right Back on Track.

My fitness is spot on, my water is almost there, and my food is firm protein/fiber first.  Any weight gain comes to a screeching halt right there.

If I have gained a few pounds, or want to lose weight for any reason, I can always take these little bites into slightly bigger chunks now that I am back in a routine and get my calories down to 1200 max, my carbs to 50 per day, and I always lose weight while still eating delicious foods.

So, my friends, just how do you eat an elephant?

ONE BITE AT A TIME.