Happy Holidays

I was overcome with emotion - joy, relief, you name it - when I was informed that I would be allowed to spend Christmas Eve at home with the ones that mean the most to me. I had gained enough weight over the weekend and so the doctor's had to comply with their agreement.

To me, Christmas symbolizes a coming together of loved ones where you simply enjoy each other's company in various forms. Additionally, eating, and treating yourself to just that one little Christmas cookie that sits there at the kitchen counter, enticing you - signaling to devour it. During the festivities yesterday and today I really tried to let go of my eating rituals and to not think about what exactly I am consuming every minute of every day. It was incredibly challenging for me to follow my given meal plan though, especially because I had gained so much weight over the weekend - due to the copious amounts of food that were consumed in anticipation of the weigh-in that decided my fate for the night-leave over Christmas Eve. Yet I managed it all. I just thought to myself, screw those thoughts; it's Christmas, so go and enjoy yourself. You deserve it. 

And you know what? That's what I did. I enjoyed my Christmas immensely. 

I love them to death. I don't know where I'd be without them. Being able to spend Christmas Eve with them was the best present I could have asked for.

I love them to death. I don't know where I'd be without them. Being able to spend Christmas Eve with them was the best present I could have asked for.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas from the bottom of my heart. 

Cold Weather - Time to Snuggle Up

As Christmas comes rolling around the corner, the weather's adapting to the predetermined Christmas conditions - lots and lots of snow. In a way, having a layer of snow cover the entire city is magical as everyone dreams of having a white Christmas.

Yet with the snow comes the cold, icy weather. Having frosty weather conditions and temperatures ranging from -8 to -2 C currently enables the snow to remain, yet it is uncomfortable for us. Being outside becomes a fight against time; the longer you endure in the bitterly cold, the warmer you should be dressed.

For me, being outside is both an enjoyment and a plague. I love winter, and the cold - especially when I'm outside at a Christmas market with friends. Yet being outside when it has these below zero temperatures is also bad for me as my body requires more energy to stay warm.

Whenever I go outside now, I wear layer upon layer upon layer. Today, for instance, I wore two pairs of tights underneath the thickest pair of sweatpants that I own while I wore five layers on top - not including my warm, fuzzy winter jacket. I am all bundled up and ready to face the cold like this. Yet not for too long because I need to make sure that I still consume enough calories on a daily basis that will enable me to continue gaining weight. I don't want to prolong my weight gain and by wearing lots of layers whenever I am outside for even the tiniest amount, I am hoping that will help.

So in a way, the cold weather is both a curse and an enjoyment for me.