Weight Loss Tips: Tales from the Front Line

Isn’t that the most beautiful pumpkin pie you ever did see?  It shouldn’t surprise you that it comes from my chef crush Tom Colicchio.  You know, the guy behind the Top Chef franchise and all those awesome restaurants…?  I have made no secret about my love for Chef Tom.  My sister brought the pumpkin pie from his ‘wichcraft restaurant in NYC to our Thanksgiving dinner, and given that Tom was involved with it, well that just made it even more delicious.  It had a deeper taste than the usual pumpkin pie and the crust was like no other.  Part of the uniquely delicious taste comes from the fact that they use roasted pumpkins and local honey, along with the usual suspects.  I got two small slices in my to-go box from my parents, and, sniff, sniff, they’re already gone.  All gone.  Beth, you hear that?  

I am happy to report that I survived the eat-fest holiday known as Thanksgiving.

Carb overload.

And I didn’t gain a pound.

Not only that, but I lost three.

Even better, it was quite unintentional.

I mean, I’m supremely intentional about losing weight, but wasn’t super-vigilant about it during the holiday.  I try to keep an “everything in moderation” way about it.  Because if you don’t indulge, just a little, you’ll soon find yourself chin-deep in a quart of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, with no one to blame but yourself.

I had the Brown Sugar Brie.  And a Spinach Cheese Square.  And a few Sausage Cheese Puffs.  And Cranberry Conserve.  And a few Cranberry Almond Bars.  And two slices of pumpkin pie.   Not all in one sitting, mind you.

But then I was going non-stop activity-wise the night before, cooking up all the side dishes and running around like crazy doing stuff with the kids’ schools.  And I was up for 23 hours the next day.  So while I might have indulged a little, my body was busy too.

The “everything in moderation” thing has worked well for me this year.  You can’t go crazy with the interpretation of it though.  It doesn’t mean Tortellini Alfredo with Garlic Bread one night, and a big fat piece of cake the next.  It means that if there is a special day or an infrequent just because, have that small piece of cake.  Because if you don’t, you’ll end up tipping your scales the other way.  And with all of us knee-deep in the holidays, it’s an important lesson to take heed to.

Don’t deprive yourself.  Indulge.  Just a smidge.  And continue back on the straight and narrow.  You’ll enjoy the holidays more.  And you’ll enjoy yourself more.  Swear.

Project 365
November 29, 2010, Photos #229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234 and 235

This poor little face. Since late this afternoon, she has been coming up to me every half-hour or so. “Mom?” Yes, Madeline? “I’m sick.” I know, sweetie, I’m sorry. I smooth her bangs a bit across her forehead.  Rub her back and belly.  Offer her something to suck on or drink.  And commiserate.  She has a stuffy head cold, poor thing. And now that she says it hurts when she coughs, well, we’ll see how she is faring tomorrow when she wakes up. I’m hoping she can sleep it off. None of us have been down for the count since pre-2009 Winter, and we’re all vitamined, flu-shotted and orange-juiced up, and hoping to make it through another Winter germ-free. My sad little girl.

The newest art installation in the O’Malley Art Gallery. I do so love kid art.  So colorful and happy.  This time, Madeline has completely monopolized the wall, but that’s ok because the last installation was all Nick, with the exception of one of her paintings.

This one is Nick’s, his Gratitude Wreath that we made as a class project last week.

A recipe for tomorrow.