'Tis the Season...to fail

I'm currently doing Weight Watchers. I have been for about 8 weeks, and so far I have lost about 20 pounds. Yes, I DO look fantastic! Thank you for noticing! I give a large chuck of the credit to my new job. I am on my feet a lot more and moving a lot more and no longer have an expense account where I can eat out every day at lunch.

But the number one thing I accredit to this weight loss in environmental control. You see, I have zero will power. If I am near cookies, I will eat them. If there are 17 pies at Thanksgiving, I will have 17 pieces. If there are tortilla chips, cheese and salsa in the house, I will make nachos. There is no ifs, ands or buts about it. So mostly we just don't have those things in the house. I eat the same thing for breakfast every day, I pack a lunch and Amy typically makes a delicious and healthy dinner. It even leaves a little room in my Points Plus (TM) points that I can have a few snacks at night and not worry. (Note: Apple Jacks are surprisingly low in points! They are better for you than most healthy cereal. Look it up!) So most days are pretty safe. And if there is the occasional dinner at book club where there is a main course of Monte Cristos, Nachos and three deserts, I can handle it.

That is why I am screwed this Christmas season. First of all, those events where there is bad for you food happen more and more frequently (like the ward party where Amy and I ate warm out of the oven shortbread and Lila danced to accordion music.)

And second of all, and this is the real killer, is the tradition of "Neighbor Gifts." In many ways, it is kind of my dream come true. You are sitting on the couch, watching the latest episode of New Girl, the doorbell rings and there is someone standing there with a cake for you. Is there anything greater than that, I ask you? And, I think it is a lovely tradition. Sharing holiday cheer with the neighbors, visiting each other during the holiday season. It's what it is all about.

But it is kind of a dieters nightmare. Like this morning, one of our lovely neighbors showed up with this:

Um. OK. The packaging says to put it on toast, graham crackers, cupcakes turkey sandwiches (weird sounding but I know I will try it.) Delicious. And then when we got home from running errands this afternoon we found something that looked something like this:

Not exactly like this, but it is the closest I could find. We ate the ones brought to us before I could get a picture. This is from Our Best Bites and I totally want to make it.

Our neighborhood is so lovely and amazing. And I wouldn't want to dissuade people from bringing me treats. Because what is more annoying than that person who is always reminding you that they are on a diet? As I said, I have zero will power. Especially when the food is a gift. If I don't eat it, I feel like I am being ungrateful. I know Gillian Michaels would yell at me and tell me it is about me and not them. But I kind of don't care. I guess I will gain 19 pounds or so this month. At least I will break even.