Diet Fork in the Road

Oh no....it's Diet Decision time again. Which weigh to go? Or...is that way?

Dieter Jane has been totally dedicated to her diet plan and has experienced considerable weight loss.  She started out on her diet plan in June - just as the heat rolled into the valley.

In the past, dieting during the summertime had been easy for Jane because she loved eating salad during the hotter months of the year. And with all the heat, she liked feeling light - rather than totally stuffed, and totally miserable in the rancid heat.

The unwanted extra weight made her feel hotter than if she would have been at her recommended weight. And it was more difficult to concentrate amid sweating.

So the summer months whirled by and Jane had dropped a total of 60 pounds by the end of September. Very good Jane!

October proved a bit harder because Jane happened to really like pumpkin pie and it was suddenly in season.  But she by-passed the pie and suddenly, Halloween had rolled around.

All that candy - all that chocolate candy, more pointedly. Jane didn't know how she resisted, but she did!

Thanksgiving was suddenly in the air. All that pumpkin pie, beautiful desserts, roasted birds, chestnut and apricot stuffing - and cranberry sauce.

Thanksgiving was exceptionally hard for Jane to get through, but she did! At this point, Jane had dropped another 30 pounds.

Then one day, something happened.

Jane was surrounded by the holidays. From Thanksgiving through New Year's it was one long stretch of holidays filled with more food than holiday joy.

And the holiday goodies were more than pumpkin pie now; plum pudding, eggnog and nuts - pecan pie. It was spiced punch, fruitcake, carrot cake and coconut pie. How in the world could Jane resist with Bing Crosby baying White Christmas in the distance?

Jane stopped. She looked straight ahead in the Old Diet Trail. There, in the middle of the road stood the Old Diet Fork in the Road. To the left lay feasting, merriment and freedom to eat anything that she desired. To the right lay a healthy diet, weight loss dreams and the freedom to never worry about being overweight again. Jane knew what she wanted to do. She had traveled too far, too long, not to succeed.

Once she realized that losing the weight and looking as well as feeling better was more important that feasting on holiday goodies - she moved forward with her weight loss plan. By the first of the new year she had dropped an additional twenty pounds, meeting her weight loss goal.

What a wonderful way to start off the new year - and just in time to cash in on all of those after-holiday sales.

Given Jane's experience with weight loss, we can see how difficult it is to remain dedicated to a weight loss plan amid the holidays - but if you have ever been on a calorie-restricted diet to lose weight, then you know that ANYTIME of the year poses challenges.

If it's not the October through December holidays, then it's Valentine's Day - and who doesn't love chocolate? And if it's not Cupid playing with your weight scales, then it's Saint Patrick or the Easter bunny. Then we have the Fourth of July - summer vacations and then we're right back to the stretch of Holiday Temptation.

By remaining dedicated to weight loss, you can reach all of your weight loss goals. It will not be easy; losing weight never is - but it's certainly worth the effort.