Weigh-in Wednesday: Christmas Eve

Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go …

Across the country, people are traveling to be with their families for Christmas.  Parents with young children are taking them to see their grandparents.  Most of the children are asking, “Are we there yet?”

As I stepped on the scale this morning, I was thinking the same thing.  “Am I there yet?”  The answer is, “No, not quite.”  I weighed in this morning at 118.6 pounds.  I’m getting closer.

Having a longer break between races has given me a chance to eat more home-cooked meals, and I’m really embracing it.  I’m finding new foods and trying new recipes.  At times, I’m loving it a little too much.  I’m wanting to try all the new foods at once.  I love these 8-grain strawberry pancakes.  I made them again yesterday.  I love that the recipe is adaptable.  I’ve made them with strawberries, but now I’m tempted to try them with bananas instead.  I see lots of possibilities.  You can also substitute different grains.  I just discovered that our grocery store carries quinoa flour.

In the past week, I only had two restaurant meals.  Both times, I had burrito bowls at Chipotle.  I haven’t had any meals that were over the top, like I sometimes always do when I’m traveling.

I’m tapering for my next race, so I’m not getting as much exercise as I usually do.  Last week, tapering just meant no races.  I ran 50 miles, but that was down from 82 miles the previous week.  This week I may run as little as 25 miles, so I’m not likely to lose any more weight before my next race.

For most people, holidays are like dietary obstacle courses.  So far, I haven’t had to overcome much temptation.  I was out of town over Thanksgiving weekend, and we haven’t baked any Christmas cookies or other sweet treats.

In my family, we never had a big Christmas dinner.  We had a brunch on Christmas morning, but it wasn’t over the top.  Deb is from a bigger family, and they always had a large Christmas dinner.  It was a feast that was just as big as their Thanksgiving dinner.  Both families have simplified things this year.  We’ll get together with each family for a restaurant meal.  It’s less about the meal itself and more about getting together with family.

We’ll be going to restaurants with buffets.  That means I’ll have a lot of flexibility.  If I want a big fattening meal, I can do that.  If I want a light sensible meal, I can do that.  In the past, I shunned salads in favor of comfort foods.  This year, I’ll probably be more restrained.  Maybe.

Merry Christmas!