It's the most wonderful time of the year

Fireworks night has been and gone and Halloween is a distant memory. That can only mean one thing...we're on the countdown to Christmas! For some that phrase might envoke fond memories of Christmas past - wrapping presents by the glow of the fire, sipping hot chocolate while snuggled up in front of predictable Hallmark movies or singing along to the overplayed annual classics while driving along in your frosted up motor. Or perhaps, it doesn't? For some people, the excitement of Christmas is tinged with fear. 'How am I going to look half decent for the Christmas party?' 'How can I resist the limited edition Starbucks peppermint mocha?' 'How do I tell my friends that I really don't want to say yes to the third mince pie but I don't want to look like a killjoy?' I myself have felt all of the above - the good and the bad. The truth is though - only YOU have the power to overcome all of the negatives. Of course you will look absolutely fabulous no matter what in your sparkly Christmas dress ordered last minute from ASOS but to maximise your glam on the outside, it starts with how you feel on the inside. It doesn't matter how many compliments you receive if you don't feel confident. Weight loss in general has received a lot of bad rap over the past couple of years. Body positivity has taken over the world and I am SO glad to see it - however that doesn't mean that wanting to lose weight is wrong. I wish that everyone felt a million bucks in the skin they're in but that's not reality and if I can help people gain confidence through improving their health and lifestyle (which I have done for years now and hope to continue to do) then I damn well will. Now excuse me why I try for the fifth year in a row to find a half-decent low carb sugar cookie recipe that doesn't taste like sawdust.