Holidays don't have to be horrible.
So...the sun is shining, the chicks are cheeping, the new green leaves are on the trees (err...apologies if you are in the middle of a snowstorm).
Whatever the weather, it is time to be happy, because we have a Holiday coming up (err...apologies to anyone who is working through it).
But for those of you who are looking forward to the weekend ...STOP. IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS GOOD, STOP RIGHT NOW! Because, fellow EPers, for us Easter isn't really about relaxing or, heaven forbid, having fun. Whatever gave you that idea?
No, for people who are losing weight, Easter is about developing and following a Tailored Lifestyle Strategy 
.
Those of you who read this blog regularly will know I am very big on having a strategy for anything that might involve extra food, especially, heaven forbid, C.H.O.C.O.L.A.T.E.
And hot cross buns. And cake. And those yummy Peep things you have over there.
Ahem....I am getting sidetracked here.
My thinking is, if you have a plan for how you will eat and exercise on these occasions, you will come out of them healthier and happier. You might not stick to your plan 100 per cent - in fact you probably won't - but you will do a lot better than if you just try to wing it.
Formulating a holiday strategy involves a certain amount of self-knowledge. You have to think about what you want from your Easter. And you need to question how much you can realistically expect from yourself, depending on the stage you are at with working on your lifestyle and eating issues.
Last year I was just starting out with my weight loss journey. My love for chocolate knew no bounds...in fact I was totally addicted to sugar...but it was making me profoundly miserable. I decided to do without Easter sweets altogether - I knew myself well enough to realise I couldn't have just one bit of chocolate, that it would in fact lead to a week-long binge, fuelled by self-hatred (high-octane stuff, that is).
This was the right decision for me at the time. I am glad I made it. This year, however, things are much brighter. So my strategy is different. This year I am going to adopt the Naturally Slim Person's approach to Easter.
Now the concept of this Naturally Slim Person (NSP, or should that be LNSB - Lucky Naturally Slim B****) plays a leading role when I am planning lifestyle strategies. I am not altogether convinced the NSP is not as mythical a creature as the Easter Bunny. Even if it does exist, the characteristics of the NSP are hotly debated. Perhaps because, these days, you are lucky even to spot one.
At any rate, in my mind, most NSPs are slim not because they have 'a higher metabolism' or are 'less hungry' or 'luckier' (than me), but because, either through upbringing or through learning, they have a balanced approach - they do eat treats (often more so than dieters), but they are small, or rare (the clue is in the word 'treat') or the NSP compensates for them somewhere else - rather than feeling so guilty they binge.
The NSP is the type of person who does overeat at Easter - and doesn't think anything of it. Because they know that one large chocolate egg, even if it is consumed within two hours, is not going to make the slightest bit of difference to their weight over the year as a whole.
NSPs do not decide in February they aren't going to have any chocolate at all at Easter, then buy their kids' eggs, hide them in the closet, then end up sitting, in their pyjamas, half in the closet, scoffing all the eggs down without really tasting them, because they need to finish before their husband walks in.
Now I know from bitter experience chocolate stains can be a b**** to remove from nightwear, so this year I am going for the NSP approach. I am going to eat some chocolate on Easter Sunday. Not a lot, and it will be sugar free because I don't like what sugar does to my mood and hunger levels. But I will enjoy it.
And it isn't about bingeing, this year. It is about taking part in an activity that helps me embrace and enjoy the fleeting season. It is about truly savouring that tiny bite of good-quality chocolate, the taste of which will immediately open to me the memories of all the Easters and springtimes I have ever experienced. The chocolate will be a small part of a day which, in fact, is not actually about food. For me, it is about Christ, and about the beauty of spring and the bubbling joy I always experience when it comes.
Last year's chocolate-free Easter taught me I don't need to overeat to have a wonderful day. And really, if I did gorge on candy, would I even be tasting it by the end? If I felt bloated and numbed from bingeing, would I be able to get out and enjoy the (hopefully) springlike weather, and burn a few calories at the same time? Would I be able to focus on my church service, enjoy the companionship of my family? (And the really big question - would I be able to fit into my bridesmaid's dress the following weekend?)
If I overate, even though I wouldn't need an Easter strategy, it wouldn't be fun. I would be dreading it. And then I would be miserable till May. So perversely, for me, making a plan and restricting my treats is actually about freedom.
I have my new attitude. I have my strategy. And I have high hopes I might, in time, fledge into a true NSP. So at least there will be one more still out there.
Not to mention, that dress has got to zip up.
Have a very happy and healthy Easter, everyone.
Rach xxx 
