Whew. Holiday eating has been a BEAST!

Resisting temptation has been just about impossible, especially last week! Just check out this Christmas Eve spread:

And there was actually more food, it just didn’t fit on this table. Cheese (my kryptonite) and seasonal desserts definitely did me in.

Amazingly, thanks to working out (Holiday Hottie Fitness Challenge!) and giving away most of the unhealthy leftovers, I made it through Christmas with minimal gain: I’m sitting at 130.8 lbs even.

Still way up from my summer-time low (of 123.8 lbs, *big sigh*), but not horrific considering the average American gains 12 lbs from Thanksgiving Day until New Year’s Day. I actually haven’t gained over the holidays – I put on my 8 pounds during the Fall (July 28th through October 31st, to be exact), when I tried to balance two full-time jobs!

I only have one more week of temptations to survive: I’m hitting NYC for the New Year! I absolutely CANNOT diet while in New York, of course, as this is really my only chance to try some of the delicacies of the city. Fortunately, I should counteract most of the bad food by the fact that I’ll be walking EVERYWHERE. My husband and I won’t use cab service (unless we have to travel completely across town), and we avoid the subways whenever possible, so we’ll be hiking around Midtown and the surrounding boroughs for a solid five days.

My husband and I did agree on a few rules in NYC to keep the weight gain at bay:

1. If we can get it in Florida, we’re NOT eating it there.
2. When dining out, we order one decadent meal and one healthy meal, then split them.
3. If it’s not pouring rain or more than 2 miles, we’re walking it.
4. We’ll drink at least 6-8 bottles of water per day. That’ll help with fatigue, cravings, and keep us hydrated in the colder weather.
5. We’re not skipping breakfast. I actually found a few Groupons/Living Social deals for great breakfast eateries, so we’ll make sure we’re getting fuel into our bodies early in the day.

I plan to start 2015 with a lot of awesome memories and NOT worried about my weight, so I won’t start working on resolutions/ goals for my body and lifestyle until we get back on the 4th. 🙂

Bon appetit, my friends, and Happy New Year!

~ Tori