The December Devil

Holiday weight gain is the devil and I work hard to gird myself against this wickedness.  Our cupboards are full of yummy gifts from friends, students and choristers.  I also baked like a maniac this month filling their cupboards with similar temptations - Sugar Cookies, Pumpkin Cookies, Blackbottom Coconut Bars, Cranberry Nut Bread, Banana Nut Bread, and the previously posted Montana Monster Cookies (see Simple Gifts). 

Today my weight is one pound below normal.  (not below ideal, but below normal)  It is the magic 139.  I have two diet tricks that I can recommend to any of you wishing to be one pound below your normal weight:

Diet Trick # 1 - Delay breakfast as long as possible.  That way, instead of 2nd breakfast you can eat lunch.  There is also a special rule that if you eat a certain food that is not ordinarily in the house, such as the homemade fruitcake Pat sent from Georgia, it doesn't count for either breakfast or 2nd breakfast.

Diet Trick #2 - There are invaluable "No-Calorie" foods, such as celery, grapefruit and skim lattes.  Samples at Whole Foods also have no calories, so this morning I tried no-calorie Tzatziki as well as Roasted Red Pepper Hummus on Pita Chips.  The store also offered no-calorie Cranberry Pound Cake and samples of no-calorie Irish Butter (salted or unsalted) served on baguette.

I decided to pass on the samples of no-calorie Hand Lotion.