Two weeks ago, I gave a lecture on Holiday Eating Tips to my fellow Toastmasters (a  public speaking group). Tonight we had our annual Holiday Party at the Galleria Building in NYC. (Yes, that is me having a cocktail second from the right). I was curious to know how people were handling the holiday season from a food and beverage standpoint … and of course to hear if they had been following the eating tips I gave them in my lecture!

 I took a little poll (some names have been changed) to see how the partygoers were handling the holiday season:

Andrea : “I have a really hard time during the holiday season. I am out at least 5 nights a week having 3-5 drinks per night. Also, I often eat ”finger foods” or richer foods than usual as that is what tends to be served at many parties”.(Example: the pizza we were eating tonight and free flowing wine). “I feel really tired during the month of December due to going out so much. I also tend to gain a few pounds. In January, this has to stop!”

Angela: “I’m not really tempted during the holiday season. I have a lot of discipline. For example, tonight I had just a small piece of chicken. I’m also not tempted by sweets. I may eat one small piece of a dessert tonight - but it will be small and something I really like .”(My recommendation to her was the pecan pie!) “Overall, the holidays really aren’t that hard for me. Plus, I want to look good for my man! I also love to cook. For me, I get more enjoyment from cooking for other people than I get from actually eating the food”. For example, Angela brought several huge trays of homemade chicken cutlets, pasta and sauce to the party (and she carried it on the subway!!)

Karen ( who works for Elite Modeling Agency): “We get tons of food sent to the office during the holiday season  - mainly candy and sweets. It is everywhere in the office”.  I was rather amazed when she said she was able to resist it. It was not a problem for her at all! So for Karen, with the exception of Christmas eve and Christmas day, the holidays do not present any unusual problems.

James:  “ I followed your holiday eating tips tonight. I made sure I ate something before coming here so I wouldn’t be starving and eat too much or get drunk too quickly”. If you watch my video, you will see I was kidding around with James telling the audience he was going to starve himself day so he could fit into his tight pants. It was a joke…   (These pics are of the boys inhaling pizza)

 Tom: “I let myself go and eat what I want on the weekends  - or during a weekday or two if there is a party - (as evidenced tonight by his several slices of pizza, chicken and pasta and multiple glasses of wine!) but the key for me is to be really strict with my eating 3 days a week. Generally on Monday, Tues and Wed, I will eat 3 light meals and then stop eating after dinner. No alcohol, no snacks. This helps to undo any damage I’ve done over the weekend or at a party”

Mary: “The tempting goodies in the office are a major problem for me. I try to avoid them, but once I start, it is hard to stop. Each day I’ll tell myself that I won’t have any today…but my willpower doesn’t hold out for long. I also haven’t been exercising much at all …too many things to do. I can’t wait for January to get back on track!”

 Maria: Maria gave a speech on exercising in the cold weather. “No matter what, I find time to exercise…even when it is 0 degrees outside.” Maria gave great advice on the right kind of clothing to wear and even brought in outdoor running clothes to use as a prop.  She seemed to really inspire the group to start exercising in the cold - although it is easy to feel inspired when you are in front of a fireplace with a glass of wine in your hand. She even inspired me to walk home instead of getting a cab - of course the fact there were no available cabs might have had something to do with that decision!  (That is Maria on the right and Angela second from the left)   

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