Maureen Monaghan
Having survived the Christmas holidays with all of its temptations and hurdles, I often find January can be an even more difficult month. When I’m dealing with stressful situations it’s easy to rationalize that I have earned a treat – which often means something I shouldn’t be eating. So, by January the sense of accomplishment for having survived Christmas is often accompanied by a need to be rewarded for my efforts. All of a sudden I find myself straying from my usual diet and all those things I was able to resist in December are harder to ignore.
Once all the guests are gone I do a purge of my cupboards and make sure all those extras that crept in during the holidays find their way back out of the house. I also try to refocus on meal planning and get back into my regular routines as quickly as possible. When the path forward seems daunting I can sometimes find renewed motivation by looking back at what I have accomplished. I am still gradually losing weight but at a rate of only a pound every 4-6 weeks. The thought of undoing several months of progress in a few days helps keep me on track.