Category: Holiday

Holiday Recap (Did I fall off the bandwagon?)

The 2017 Holiday season has now come to an end, or at least they have for me. In Puerto Rico the Christmas celebrations will continue for a few more weeks until the end of “Las Octavitas”. For us is now time to get back to work and our dogs and normal routine. Coming back after spending time with my parents and the rest of my family and friends is never easy (not even after 10 years of living away from them) but I am so thankful that we are able to visit and spent these precious time together.

Continue reading “Holiday Recap (Did I fall off the bandwagon?)”

Healthy eating while on Puerto Rico (can I make it?)

Christmas in Puerto Rico is a big deal, much bigger than people who were not born here imagine. Navidad (Christmas) is when we experience the best of Puerto Rican culture. Nowhere else is Christmas celebrated like in my little island. Navidad is the time of tradition, family, aguinaldos and villancicos (Christmas songs) and parrandas (louder and funer version of Chirstmas caroling), when  friends gather late in the evening (after 10pm) and visit different houses to “surprise” and wake them up with the loud music and singing of the ‘parranderos’ (those taking part in the ‘parranda’). Traditionally these are supposed to be a surprise but most people have ‘arranged’ that they will be visited; because the custom is that when you’ve been ‘woken up’ you have to join in the parranda so it grows during the evening as more people join in! The fun can last all night, finishing at dawn!

Christmas celebrations in Puerto Rico begin very early in December and do not stop on December 25th. The celebrations can continue into the middle of January if you consider the ”octavitas”. The big Christmas celebrations are; December 24 – Nochebuena; December 25 – Navidad; December 31 – Despedida de Año; and the biggest and most important of all for the children, of course, el Día de Reyes (Three Kings Day) on January 6th.

Throughout all of these celebrations there is one thing in common besides the spirit of celebration and that is FOOD.  Continue reading “Healthy eating while on Puerto Rico (can I make it?)”

Holiday Party Survival Guide: Staying on track or falling of the bandwagon?

This past weekend was a very eventful three days. Not a typical weekend for us that’s for sure. My company Christmas party was held this past Friday, and while I wasn’t particularly excited to attend I have to say that we spent a really good time when it was all said and done. The following evening, we went to dinner at a popular Mexican chain food restaurant to celebrate my sister in law’s birthday and afterwards went to another holiday party at a friend’s house. We also were invited to another holiday gathering on Sunday evening which we decided not to attend since we were pretty much burned out after the last two days and I realized I had some work reports to do for Monday morning.

All in all, it was a great weekend but for someone that has recently embarked on a journey to reinvent himself it was torture. On the one side, I made it through without binge eating everything in sight as I would normally have done (including the delicious chips and salsa at the Mexican restaurant which was hard as hell). On the other side, I completely failed at moderating my alcohol intake, which is a habit that needs to be modified if I am to continue seeing progress throughout this holiday season.

Now that I know what doesn’t work for me, here are some things I learned that will help keep me on track and still be able to enjoy myself.

Continue reading “Holiday Party Survival Guide: Staying on track or falling of the bandwagon?”