Food! It's everywhere right now. Every corner I turn reveals another tray full of frosted cutout cookies. I went to a meeting recently at someone's home and when the hostess very politely waved a tray of the most scrumptious looking chocolate covered peanut butter filled melt in your mouth patties I apparently said "NO!" a litlte too loudly - or so my friend tells me. It's hard enough to say no to all that sugar, but saying no politely is almost too much for me to handle. So I'm practicing: "No, thank you. It does look delicious." or "Oh, thanks, but I'm really full." I guess my hostess felt sorry for me because as I was leaving she presented me with a beautifully wrapped paper plate full of those little patties. Even had a red and green bow prettily tied atop it. Sheesh. Luckily my friend rode with me so I was able to re-gift it to her. If not I would have been tempted to rip open that covering and eat every single one of them on my way home.
 Most people don't understand binge behavior - don't realize that just a sugar laden bite can send me right back down the long slide to overeating. And I don't feel like wearing my addiction on a sash across my chest. So practicing ways to turn down energetic hostesses is one of the ways I'm planning on getting through this season. But I don't want to just get through it. I want to enjoy it. And that enjoyment has to come from places other than the food. Pretty little Ike our Christmas tree is doing a hell of a job keeping me entertained. Looking forward to time with family helps. Focusing on finding meaningful gifts helps.  Love the Christrmas carols so the music helps.
  But there will be food everywhere I go. I can either
 a) give in and eat it
b) resent that every one else gets to eat and get pissed off and eat it
c) have some of it thinking that I can handle which of course I can't so that will lead to more of it and then to a full blown binge or
d) make good choices for myself, for my health, and work my plan one day at a time - sometimes one minute at a time.
No swimming today - the pool was closed. Actually it will be closed for winter break (college pool) not opening again till mid-January. But since this is the best exercise for me with almost no impact, I think I'll try and find a local high school pool with open hours. Good food choices - breakfast out so a veggie omelet and dinner out too in an hour or so - probably protein and veggies. Another day of no sugar. I'm pretty proud of myself. Feeling good.