So I’ve been planning for the week this morning, you know, in a way that makes me feel smug, organised and like nothing is getting anything past this suit of armour I’m wearing – yes that suit of armour, the one stitched together from determination and willpower. It’s still a bit scratchy, but it fits better than it used to. When I say planning for the week, I suppose what I actually mean is planning for the month. I’ve gathered together all the hurdles I know about, and I’ve been busy fitting it all together like a kind of social jigsaw, if that makes sense.

This week, on the whole, my dance card is empty. Which, anti-social old bugger that I am, warms the cockles of my heart. There’s a couple of work-related noshing opportunities which I’ll need to be on guard against but nothing I can’t handle. The following two weeks on the other hand look a bit more thorny. Strewn with dieting obstacles which are going to take a bit of navigating. Without forward planning they could spell disaster with a capital Dee!

But it’s ok, I have a plan. And whilst it does involve a bit of creative points accounting, I’m in this for the long game, and I have to get used to shaping the food plan to fit me in a way which means I can achieve my goals, right? I know we’ve laughed together in a previous post about my nifty footwork when I need to bend the budget, but since I’m forward planning this time I’m cool with it. But I’m relying on you guys to holler if you think I’m wide of the mark.

So, in two weeks’ time I have a weekend away booked with several of my friends. We’re setting sail on a little pre-Christmas posh mini-cruise. We’ve booked afternoon tea with champagne on the Friday afternoon, and there’s a full five course dinner that evening. Saturday will involve the Christmas markets of Dublin together with the craic – aka lots of drinking – followed by a gala dinner back onboard the ship on Saturday night. Dieting carnage, but an annual event I wouldn’t miss for the world.

Then, the following weekend is Christmas. Talk about a bloody challenge. But you know what, we’ve got this. So here’s my plan.

This week, I am going for it BIG TIME – let’s call it the pre-carnage turbo charge. I’m going to ratchet up the movement and earn some activity bonus points but I’m not going to spend them. Just to manage your expectations, I’m not talking about anything drastic like a body pump class – I want to sweat a bit, not die on the spot – so it’ll probably mean extra walks with my four legged friend, but enough for me to feel like I’ve done more than I normally do. Pushed myself, you know?

I’m also going to stay well within my daily points allowance, and not touch the additional allowance we get on a weekly basis…I’m going to keep up the turbo charge from now until the day we set off on our weekend away. That’s eleven days of over-and-above effort, together with tight-fisted points budgeting, up ahead of time. Which means that I can spend more points than I would normally have at my disposal whilst I’m away because I’ve earned it before I went, right?

Then, on the Sunday we get home I go right back into turbo mode, and stay there until Christmas. Christmas day falls the following Friday, and over the Christmas weekend I start a new ‘points’ week so I’ll have enough for a few treats. So in theory, it should balance itself out and I should exit the holiday season a little bit skinnier than I entered it, with my place in the sweet spot unchallenged. Don’t forget I’ve got my eye on those size 22 duds by the new year…

What do you reckon posse? Good plan..?

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