When I got my HCG drops in the mail at the beginning of the month, I debated over WHEN I should start the diet. Like nearly every other family in the United States of America, my family’s Thanksgiving day revolves around the meal. How could I keep to a diet when if I’m surrounded by all that amazing food? Maybe it would be better to wait until the holiday was over.

But playing the waiting game can be a slippery slope. After all, three weeks after Thanksgiving is my company’s holiday party, two weeks after that is Christmas, and a week after that is New Year’s Eve. If I were to delay my diet by two weeks because of Thanksgiving, what would prevent me from delaying until after the holiday season was over? I could easily see that happening.

I quickly decided that waiting was not an option. I simply couldn’t afford any delay. Here’s why:

1 – My main New Year’s resolution for 2013 is to learn how to maintain my weight loss so that I can stop this yo-yo diet that I’ve been on for the past, um, I don’t know, 23 years. But in order for me to maintain my weight in 2013, I need to reach my target weight while it’s still 2012.

2 – Last New Year’s Eve I went out with two of my best friends. I love my girls dearly, but they are both a size 0. Like I said in THIS POST (you can also see my New Year’s Eve picture there), when I saw pictures from that night of the three of us I wanted to throw up. I do NOT want to feel that way again on January 1, 2013!

3 – At my company’s holiday party, which is on December 13, I will be seeing this guy that I used to date (free advice: don’t date your coworkers!). The last time I saw him, in May, I was about 10 pounds lighter. When I see him at that party in a few weeks I want to look at least as good as I did the last time I saw him, if not better.

In order to accomplish all of these goals I had to start the diet right away. So I did.

So how am I going to get by on Thanksgiving? What am I going to do when I’m surrounded by the turkey, the stuffing, the biscuits and gravy, the candied yams, and the 4 or 5 different pies? Duh, I’m going to eat, naturally! Even though I’m not supposed to, and even though nearly all of the food on that table won’t be allowed because of my diet, I am going to enjoy that Thanksgiving dinner. Because the holidays are meant to be enjoyed, and I will not enjoy myself If I’m worrying about food and dieting.

I’ll do my best to avoid stuffing my face like I usually do. But even if I eat too much, so what? It’s just one day. I’ve accepted the fact that I will gain back two or three pounds because of it. But if I hit the gym every day over the weekend, by Monday or Tuesday I should be back on track. So that’s my plan.