Shopping on Black Friday

For those that don't live here in the States, there is a huge and seemingly growing tradition of going shopping basically starting at midnight on Thanksgiving Day.  This is commonly called Black Friday.  It is the official start of the Christmas buying season, so for retailers it is very important.  They try to lure shoppers in with their best discounts.  In years past, shoppers would gather outside the doors waiting for them to be opened so they can sprint in to get the limited supply of great deals.  Incredibly in the past this has actually resulted in injuries and even fatalities from being trampled!
Last year I ventured out to show my kids just the extent of this spectacle.  Every spot in the mall parking lot was filled.  Inside the store every isle was open, but the lines were enormous.  I scored a good deal on a blu-ray player and some other stuff.  I love a good deal as much as the next guy, but this year I decided to stay in.  I guess you have to be in the right frame of mind in order to enjoy Black Friday.  I have already heard news reports of someone pepper spraying twenty others-to improve her chances of getting a discounted Xbox!!  If you had enough courage to brave the crowds, I would like to hear about it.  What did you get?  Was it worth the lines, or is that just part of the fun.  Were the people nuts?  If you didn't go, why not??  For those that live outside the States, do they have a version of Black Friday there???

Weight Loss Update Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Friends!!!

Diet Plan - The Turkey Day Gameplan

Well for my readers not in the States, this Thursday is Thanksgiving.  In a nutshell, it is a day set aside for family, food, and giving thanks for all we have.  It stems from our history, of the colonist coming here and not being able to grow much in the way of food.  The colonist were starving and dying until the native American Indians taught the colonist the techniques of successful agriculture that led to a bountiful harvest and much to be thankful for.  So from the start the holiday seemed to have the sharing of abundant food as a cornerstone.  Of coarse this has evolved into having a reason for a feast that usually centers around a main coarse of turkey with stuffing and gravy.  Many families often add ham or roast beef along with any other delectable dish you can imagine.  In short Thanksgiving has become a great reason to splurge.

Many in the weight loss community have been formulating their strategy to get through the holiday without packing on many extra pounds.  I think it is wise to have a plan and I have given some thought to my plan as well.  First, I know what I don't want to do.  Since Thanksgiving is a social gathering, I do not want to play the martyr.  You know what I mean.  The one person with only one raw carrot and one stalk of celery on their plate.  The dieting martyr loves to have everyone take notice of how hard they must sacrifice.  If this is you, that's cool--it's just not me.  I plan to embrace moderation as my coarse of action.  I plan to have a LITTLE of everything.  Just one plate is my general rule.  I will keep my eye on my portions.  In other words, I am on my diet to live, but I do not live for my diet.  As always I would love your thoughts, whether you agree or disagree.  If you are outside the States, I would like to know if you have anything like our Thanksgiving (without the pilgrims and Indians of coarse).