Have Yourself a Measured Little Christmas

♫ It’s beginning to look a lot like (Hanukkah and) Christmas… ♫

And just like that, the busyness of the season has officially begun.

I’m honestly not sure where Thursday disappeared to. One moment I was at work, typing away at this very blog post while listening to Holiday Favorites on the radio, Michael Bublé serenading me with that song—and the next moment I was in my car, driving to Hartford to host a Coffee Date Speed Dating event. Somewhere in between, the day just vanished.

Hard to believe it’s already December. Hanukkah begins Sunday evening, Christmas follows ten days later, and before we blink, we’ll be stepping into 2026.

This time of year can be magical, but it also comes with chaos. Our focus shifts to everyone else—shopping, baking, wrapping gifts, planning gatherings, squeezing in visits with friends and family. I’m especially guilty of this since gift-giving (and baking enough cookies to feed a small village) is absolutely my love language.

But even in the middle of that whirlwind, we still have to take care of ourselves. Our needs, our health, and our goals deserve a spot high on our holiday priority list.

Now is not the time to push our goals aside.

It’s more important than ever to keep weighing and measuring every single thing—yes, even the “little” things we like to pretend don’t count. That quick lick of peanut butter while making a sandwich… that rogue taste of dressing while prepping a salad… those tiny bites feel harmless, but they aren’t.

We all know the rule: not a bite, taste, or lick.

And while one moment may feel insignificant, those moments add up—and they always take from the future.

Last week, I talked about “slip weight”—the weight that slips on quickly but can slip off just as fast. This is now my second week of working that slip weight back off, and it hit me: that’s two weeks I could have spent moving forward toward my goal of being down 70 pounds by the cruise in January.

I got lucky this week. Even after getting (rightfully) scolded for not measuring salad dressing any day last week… I still lost another three pounds.

But luck is not a strategy—consistency is.

And the truth is, I’m still playing catch-up from that slip-up week. Reflecting on it now, I can’t help but wonder:

Was that bump in the road just the inevitable accumulation of all those tiny “it doesn’t matter” moments? The unmeasured dressing… the quick licks… the little bites… the habits I let slide?

So, this holiday season, no matter how rushed, tired, or overwhelmed you may feel—stick to your tools. Use the scale. Use the measuring spoons. Honor the habits that have carried you this far.

Let everyone else enjoy the desserts and the NSFP (Not Safe For Program) foods.

You’re working toward something bigger, brighter, and far more rewarding than a fleeting holiday bite.

Keep going. We’ve got this!

This week’s loss: 3 pounds

Total loss so far: 46 pounds