Special thanks to Jenny Craig for their sponsorship of this post.
I finally stopped moving long enough to write a blog post tonight. And, while there’s a ton to share, it seems like most things I have going on begin with the letter P. So, I figured that was a perfect place to start.
Parties
It’s that time of year. There are so many holiday parties popping up, and I feel like I’m rushing from place to place, and juggling my calendar. When you’re on a healthy eating program, holiday parties are a bit tricky. While we can all admit that parties are about celebrating, about the people, and something you don’t want to miss, the platters of decadent dishes can be a little bit hard to deal with.
Yes, I can splurge… but I splurge where I want to splurge, and not because it’s Tuesday. Last week, I went to the Denver Bloggers Club’s holiday party at the Cherry Cricket in Denver. The Cherry Cricket is a highly renowned burger joint in the Mile High City, and the food that they presented that night did NOT disappoint.
Burger samples, fried mac and cheese and more, I was also extremely pleased to see a crudité plate and a beautiful salad. I piled up a plate of veggies, and enjoyed them while everyone gnawed on the cheese-loaded appetizers and burgers.
Participation
In that same party scenario, I find it to be important to be part of what’s going on. While I’m eating veggies in this example, I also have a glass of rosé in my hand. I want to feel social. I want to feel part of the party, and I want to participate!
I was able to forego the appetizers, brownies, and milkshakes… but I didn’t want to miss out on a glass of wine. I could have said no, but I don’t have to every single time.
I prefer to splurge on those things I really love, and not just to splurge for the sake of splurging. One glass of wine doesn’t break my progress, and participating brings me joy!
The same thing happened on Saturday night when I was baking cookies. I wanted to participate, and I ate 2 cookies (plus some broken snowflakes.) It’s all part of the season… and there’s definitely an opportunity to “participate” every single day, which is exactly why I pick and choose.
Prep (As in Food Prep)
I’m keeping my food prep on track, and making sure that I have a full fridge of snacks on hand at all times. My salad game remains strong, and is honestly one of the meals I know I would miss frequently if I didn’t prep them. Who has time to make a salad every day after all?
Between parties and holiday shopping adventures, having something quick to grab-and-go has been brilliant this season, and I highly recommend it.
Pears
I love Harry & David’s seasonal pears, and ordered myself a box using a Groupon I spotted a few weeks back. They’re also selling these at Trader Joe’s. Get yourself some pears; They’re AMAZING and a great snack!
Packages
I’m pleased to share that after about 10 trips to the post office, all of my packages have been shipped for the holidays! None of my family lives in Colorado, which means that I travel for the season shipping presents ahead of my arrival.
The USPS is always rockin’ this time of year, so I’ve leaned on the flat rate boxes (and shipping labels) that they offer. The less time I need to stand in that long line, the better. I hope you’ve fared well at the post office or (even better) don’t have to ship anything at all!
Purling (Mostly, Knitting!)
Last week, I did something I haven’t done in months. I picked up a set of knitting needles! Not only have a failed completely in love with the Isaac Mizrahi yarn at Michaels, but I also have been keeping myself busy every night knitting up a storm! I’m three scarves in and have my eyes on hats, a fancy cowl, and more scarves as the season continues.
It pairs lovely with your favorite podcast or your favorite show on Netflix. As a bonus, yo
ur hands stay busy, keeping your hands out of the cookie jar. Trust me, it works.
Planning
I’m working on a holiday plan for next week. Like I mention earlier, I want to participate, but I’d like to pick and choose where. My sister-in-law Beth is ready for me to show up with a cooler in my suitcase. I’m planning to pack my Jenny Craig food and bring it with me to Memphis, and I’m planning on having Jenny Craig food for breakfast and lunch, and snacking on my typical shake and anytime bar.
I’m expecting to enjoy dinner with my family. I’ll only be home three nights, but two evenings are big traditional meals in our family. Rather than enjoy the pasta on the italian meal night, I’ll have carrot spirals. Rather than doing the backstroke in the mashed potatoes and gravy on our “thanksgiving dinner” night, and am planning to lobby for some steamed green beans and a colorful salad that night to fill my plate.
I’m only home for three days, and I’m hopeful that my planning will make this all work just fine.
Perambulation
Ok, I had to look that one up, but I wanted to keep the “P” theme going.
The weather has been really gorgeous here in Colorado, in the upper 50s every day, which has me walking (ahem, perambulating) around my favorite lake as much as humanly possible.
With that, another part of the holiday planning involves me planning to get a little physical while I’m home for the holidays. A little activity always helps offset a little extra calories here and there, and honestly, it’s great for the soul during the holidays. Great way to clear your mind, get out of the house, and get some fresh air. Near my brother’s house, there’s some great walking trails and (weather permitting) I’d like to get out and perambulate a little…
Pizza
I figured out a way to turn the Jenny Craig Chicken Ranch Melt into a pizza, and it’s been my go-to for creating recipes ever since. By now, you’ve seen my Rainbow Flatbread Pizza that I posted last week. Wait until you see what I’ve cooked up with the Ranch Melt next…
Plateau
I started the month thinking that I might be fighting a weight loss plateau, but that’s definitely not a thing. On the same week I started worrying about this P word, I lost -2.1 lbs. So, I’m moving in the right direction! Excited to see how the rest of this month goes.
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Jenny Craig; however, all of the opinions and comments about the program are exclusively my own and do not necessarily represent that of the brand.
December: Brought to You By the Letter “P” originally appeared on No Thanks to Cake on 12/17/2018, which is not permitted to be copied on other sites without written permission from the original author.
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