Reality-Check the Holidays

December is a festive time, but it can also seem like a weight-loss disaster in waiting. We're surrounded by tantalizing aromas of holiday favorites. Add to that the convivial atmosphere, and, often, free-flowing booze at holiday events and you’re perilously close to munching your way through the season, or at least the party.

Worried about how you'll make it through to the New Year without undoing all your hard work? No need. Between our tools, the flexibility of the plan, and a few smart mental shifts, you make it through the month feeling good about yourself.

The first thing to do, of course, is be realistic: You probably won’t have time to lovingly to wrap all your gifts with handmade paper and elaborate bows, someone will push food on you (here’s how to handle) and a batch of your famous sugar cookies will scorch on the bottom. Your Weekly gives you a fresh way to think about how you think, so that you’re able to face such challenges realistically, creatively, and positively.

Next, turn that revised, fresh thinking into smart actions:

If you haven't done so already, take a few minutes to download the Weight Watchers Mobile app for iOS and Android so you can stick with the tools, recipes, restaurants, and, of course, the encouragement of Connect, our social network.

No matter how motivated you are, this is a difficult time to make drastic changes. Keep it simple and celebrate small victories like remembering to pack a healthy snack for work so you’re less distracted by the holiday candy. You might consider keeping your weight loss on hold during the holidays or even allowing yourself a small gain—that can help you feel less pressure. And it’s way better to control your choices than to be too rigid, find yourself feeling deprived, and then overdoing it.

It’s pretty simple: The more often you track what you eat, the greater your chance of staying on plan. So track as well as you can. We know sometimes life can get a bit busy; that’s why the Tracker features lots of shortcuts that help streamline tracking. If all else fails, snapping a photo of your meal can help you keep tabs on what you eat—especially during times when it’s most challenging.

The Joy of Citrus

Juicy, tangy, sweet, packed with vitamin C… what’s not to love about oranges? In fact, oranges are a traditional holiday treat, tucked into the toe of a Christmas stocking—perhaps as a symbol of gold.