A sweet reader – “M” wrote to ask me whether the whole wheat pumpkin muffins that I love would work as a pumpkin loaf.

I thought, sure, why not? I’m a fan of the muffins because they come in their own serving-size.

But whether you’re team-muffin or team-loaf, I have the recipe here. I eat these as mini-meals throughout the cold months. Yum, right?

Also, this recipe is a go-to for Eating Before You Eat. Maybe a muffin and an apple would be perfect.

Set the oven for 375 degrees.

Mix together dry items:

• 1 cup flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar (only 3 tablespoons!!)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (an eighth!!)

Mix Wet:

• First, melt 2 tablespoons butter (just 2!).
• 1 whole egg (add two eggs for more protein).
• ¾ skim milk (but almond milk works just as well).

Now the fun part:

• If you want pumpkin pie muffins: add ¾ can of pumpkin puree to the wet mix and one teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the dry mix.)
• Want apple pie muffins? Add a peeled and diced Granny Smith apple and a mashed ripe banana to the wet mix along with one teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry mix.
• Love banana bread? Mash three to four super ripe bananas and along with a teaspoon of vanilla add to the wet.

Bake muffins for 18 to 20 minutes. ♥

A former post tidied up:

Pearl One

Years ago, I was driving with my parents and my two boys in our van and I guess I wasn’t driving fast enough because one driver peeled out from behind me and went screaming down the road.

At that, my five-year-old son scrunched up his little face in anger and said, “There goes a. . .

“This’ll be interesting,” I thought.

“PUNK!!”

There goes a punk. Not exactly a curse word, but we got his meaning. (The Scarfer uses the word “punk” occasionally so that’s where my son first heard the word.)

Kids absorb everything.

My Point

Like little kids, our brains are listening and watching everything we do.

• If you weigh your protein every single time before you cook it, she’s watching and thinks, “Oh, okay we’re the kind of person who measures everything.”
• If we stop eating at 6 p.m. each evening, she’s like “Got it. We don’t eat after a small dinner.”
• If we have too much food leftover, she learned long ago to think, “Our stomachs are not trash cans.”
• If you take a bite of cookie that’s just not worth the calories and spit the bite into a napkin she’ll think, “Wow, we are serious about losing weight. We even spit out food.”

As you trek the lose-weight-after-fifty mountain, plan to prove to your brain at every eating-moment that you mean business about smart eating.

How do you prove something to your brain?

Through repetition.

Your brain just needs to see proof that something really matters to you, so give her as much proof as you possibly can. ❄️

Pearl Two

Spend time with yourself inside your journal.

• What sentences do you repeat to yourself most often, and who first taught you to believe them?
• When you make a mistake, what does your inner voice sound like, and what is your brain learning from that tone?
• Which belief in your life feels true simply because it has been repeated for years?
• If your brain is always listening, what do you want it learning from you now? ❄️

Pearl Three

Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff. Apply to your own life.

Initial Sequence

• Situation (be as concrete as possible): Margaret, 65, has been divorced for two years. She was invited to her best friend’s big New Year’s Eve party.
• Initial thought: “I’m always up for dancing and I love the party atmosphere, and even though these parties are huge, Sheila will get her feelings hurt if I don’t attend.”
• Feeling: Guilty, trapped, heavy heart.
• Action: I pick a nice outfit for the party.
• Result: I go to the party and frankly am overwhelmed, but I keep my smile plastered on my face.

Chosen Sequence

• Situation: Margaret, 65, has been divorced for two years. She was invited to her best friend’s big New Year’s Eve party.
• Chosen thought: “I was invited to Shelia’s big shindig for New Year’s Eve, but I’m craving a night alone, sipping a glass of wine, watching the city fireworks from my balcony, cat in lap and think about the upcoming year. I need to speak up for myself and explain to Sheila why I won’t be at her party.”
• Feeling: Scared to tell her friend, but also brave. Margaret has been practicing being more assertive.
• Action: Margaret shops for her favorite food and even buys a new pair of pajamas for her “night in.”
• Result: Margaret wakes up on New Year’s Day feeling good and ready for a yoga class. ❄️

Pearl Four

My three most favorite books of 2025 (all three are phenomenal):

• Gold: Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung.
• Silver: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck.
• Bronze:  I’ll Have What She’s Having by Chelsea Handler.

All three are six thumbs up book-desserts! ❄️

Pearl Five

You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” ❄️

Zig Ziglar

I think most of us are at the stage of life that being in our jammies by 9 p.m. is how we roll. I laughed when I read about a woman who said that she didn’t care who knew that she got into her jammies often at 6 p.m. I have to admit that it sounds inviting.

But if you’re one to celebrate New Year’s Eve: go for the brut champagne (lowest calories) around.

If you like this post, I’d love if you’d share it with others. And thank you.

Share how you’re sharing New Year’s Eve and Day: will it be “glam” or “cozy?”

Have a smart eating week!

♥, Wendy

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And given that computers can be so difficult, always feel free to ask in the comments below for Aunt Bea and I’ll get her right to you!

I am not an expert, doctor, surgeon, nurse, dietician, or nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Nurse a low cal drink on difficult occasions. Drinks just for us here.

Welcome to our new peeps! The red carpet is rolled out for you. So happy you’re here. As Tim Ferriss said, “people don’t want more information about their problems. They want solutions to their problems.”

Below in pink you’ll find five super important posts. The regular Monday post I send will make a lot more sense after you read these pink titles. And if you haven’t received your Aunt Bea copy just write in the comments below and I’ll shoot it right over.

• Begin Here
• This Metaphor Is My Constant Companion as I Preserve My Weight Loss After Age Fifty
• Brownies for Breakfast
• 6 Pillars of Losing Weight After Age 50
• How to Conquer Your Evening Sugar Cravings

Pearl One

Let’s talk Christmas eating! Isn’t eating so much Christmas fudge and drinking mugs of spiked egg nog what the season is all about? I mean, if we’re not overeating and over drinking can we still call it a holiday? Yes and no. If you take a taste or two of everything on the Big Day, and you’re good to go: okay, but if like me one taste triggers you into a free-for-all, you need a solid game plan.

Believe me, I’m 100% with you that keeping our smart habits in December is challenging, and often feels downright unfair. But in response to the difficulty, I’ve trained myself to think, over and over, “it’s just one day. I can make this work for one day” (and one evening if you count New Year’s Eve).

I think about my grandma being a little girl — 1912 to 1920 — when special food only appeared in her life at Christmastime. Not being of the Rockefeller-persuasion, the special food was too pricey for her to eat on the regular. But in today’s world you and I can whip up a cheesecake with ease or find one already made five miles away at the Cheesecake Factory.

In my experience, having a strong game plan is the only way to roll through the many calories coming soon to a theater near you.

What I Do

So, in building a smart game plan I take a look at what will likely be difficult meals in the days to come and I plan for every obstacle. I never allow myself to stroll into an eating experience without my trusty plan (in my head or hand bag) and here’s why: in the modern age alluring food is everywhere and I know that I will succumb if I don’t create a game plan and stick to it like glue.

I write a game plan that includes taking my cold-tote packed with smart bites with me everywhere (these bites need to be your favorites, this is no time to skimp). For new readers, smart small bites are like broccoli, a hard-boiled egg, red grapes, sliced apple and yogurt cups but, again, you must have what you most love. I also include Eat Before You Eat. (Remember your goal is to ruin your meal!) Sounds harsh but I’m being super honest: if I show up Hungry, I will plow into the mashed potatoes, candied yams, gravy and rolls with a vengeance.

Future-Me

In addition, I journal-write from future me to today-me. For example, I might write a letter from December 26-me to my current self. The letter will detail everything positive she hopes for me on the day of Christmas like getting outside for a good walk, playing board games with the kids or even helping the hostess clean up.

The idea is to stay pleasantly busy so that you don’t eat out of sheer boredom. Build activities into your game plan that are easy and fun. And don’t forget to look for the “magical moments” that quietly arrive.

Okay, write your game plan — what you most want to happen this week — and be ready to wake up with a smile the next morning.❄️

Pearl Two

Journal-Gems

Journal-writing is like a portal to our unconscious, the wisdom flows through our pen or keyboard and splashes onto the page.

While it’s not the last word on overeating, knowing yourself better will always play a pivotal role in how you engage with food.

• What does Christmas mean to you?
• How did Christmas food play a role when you were a child?
• What Christmas food or dishes remind you of a time-past?
• How does the idea of creating an eating game plan strike you?
• What do you think about writing from a future-you?
• Begin the letter from December 26-you or even January 1-you to today-you. ❄️

Pearl Three

Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff. Apply to your own life.

Initial Sequence

• Situation: Linda wants to drop twenty pounds but the scale won’t budge.
• Initial thought: “I’m watching younger women drop pounds when needed, what is wrong with me?”
• Feeling: Frustrated and angry.
• Action: She diets, then overeats, then it’s back to restrictive eating. Rinse and repeat.
• Results: She keeps three different clothes sizes in her closet because she knows the scale will go up and down. Nothing new.

Chosen Sequence

• Situation: Linda wants to drop twenty pounds but the scale won’t budge.
• Chosen thought: “Losing weight would be fabulous, but I’m working to develop the habits of one, eating smart food and two, eating in a smart portion size.”
• Feeling: Determined, strong.
• Action: Linda develops the habit of eating a light dinner and going to bed early with an awesome book.
• Result: As Linda slowly establishes new habits, she begins to shift how she engages with food. Over time she donates old clothes in different sizes to the thrift store. ❄️

Pearl Four

I’m so happy to bring you a great book recommendation — a book that, at first blush, sounds boring, but absolutely isn’t. The author, Susan Orlean, wrote The Library Book, and she can tell one heck of a nonfiction story.

On April 29, 1986, the Los Angeles Central Library caught fire in what became the largest library blaze in U.S. history. Over seven hours, about 400,000 books were incinerated, and another 700,000 were damaged by smoke and water; more than 1.1 million items lost or damaged in a single night.

To this day, the cause of the fire remains a mystery.

Sounds boring, but is not in the least. Great book dessert! ❄️

Pearl Five

“It is so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis.”❄️

James Clear

If you like this post, I’d love if you’d share it with others. I can buy ad space, but word-of-mouth is always the gold standard. And thank you.

Merry Christmas and have a beautiful week!

♥, Wendy

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And given that computers can be so difficult, always feel free to ask in the comments below for Aunt Bea and I’ll get her right to you!

I am not an expert, doctor, surgeon, nurse, dietician, or nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Welcome to our new peeps! The red carpet is rolled out for you. So happy you’re here. As Tim Ferriss said, “people don’t want more information about their problems. They want solutions to their problems.”

Below in pink you’ll find five super important posts. The regular Monday post I send will make a lot more sense after you read these pink titles. And if you haven’t received your Aunt Bea copy just write in the comments below and I’ll shoot it right over.

• Begin Here
• This Metaphor Is My Constant Companion as I Preserve My Weight Loss After Age Fifty
• Brownies for Breakfast
• 6 Pillars of Losing Weight After Age 50
• How to Conquer Your Evening Sugar Cravings

Pearl One

Are you okay with being different? I sure wasn’t. We moved enough when I was young, and I was terrible at being the new girl in class. Breaking into cliques wasn’t my forte, so I’ve found myself with a lifelong feeling of wanting to blend in.

But the way I see it, you and I are the first generation of women over 50 who are taking our food-porn culture by the scruff and telling it, “You’ve done enough damage, we’re taking back our health one smart, ingrained habit at a time.”

Thing is, it’s important to make peace with being different.

• Different is telling an eating-buddy that you can’t meet her anymore at the cute bakery because you know you’ll overeat the “muffins” (really cupcakes minus the frosting) in the glass case.
• Different is putting your foot down when someone tries to schedule an activity during the day and time you’ve set aside for your Pilates class.
• Different is asking the server “too many” questions about the ingredients in the food at the restaurant and getting the side-eye from your partner.

I’ll say it again: we are the first generation of over 50s who can – and are – taking ownership of our health and our bodies. We determine our weight-fate, not Ben & Jerry’s.

And this requires swimming against the tide.

We can learn to navigate our culture’s gazillion calories, but it’s very unfamiliar territory. It requires entirely new food habits, new ways of eating with friends and family, and new reframes.

There’s nothing special about me. My dad never won Olympic gold. My mom was never a Rockette. My point is that I’m very average. If I can do this, you can too. ❄️

Pearl Two

Pull out your journal and get feedback from the wisdom inside of you!

• In what ways has my age made weight loss more sustainable?
• What patience or boundaries do I have now that I lacked before?
• How has my relationship with food matured along with me?
• What has my body taught me in this season of life that it couldn’t teach me when I was younger?
• Which weight-loss “rules” no longer apply to me and what good can come out of letting them go?
• How has my sense of worth changed with age? ❄️

Pearl Three

Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff. Apply to your own life.

Initial Sequence

• Situation: Margaret, 68, notices that her grandson’s college application essay contains five serious factual errors as he prepares to submit it.
• Knee-jerk thought: “If I intervene, I might embarrass him and undermine his independence. If I stay silent, the mistakes could affect his chances of getting into the school.:
• Feeling: Confused about what to do and scared of doing/saying the wrong thing.
• Action: Margaret ends up staying silent. She decided to stay out of it.
• Result: “Ultimately,” she thought “getting into a particular school was between her grandson and his parents.” There was nothing she could do.

Chosen Sequence

• Situation: Margaret, 68, notices that her grandson’s college application essay contains five serious factual errors as he prepares to submit it.”
• Chosen Thought: I may make my grandson mad, but I can’t let him send off the essay with those errors. This is the perfect time for me to make “a sandwich (say something positive, point out the mistakes, and finish up with another positive).”
• Feeling: Margaret feels a sense of pride in her own abilities to handle the situation whether her grandson gets mad or appreciates the feedback. Either way, she’s feeling positive.
• Action: Fixing the mistakes on his essay takes time and her grandson gets grumpy, but Margaret simply responds, “Anyone who has ever written anything has had to work on their copy.” At the end of the day she thinks that it’s about integrity to speak up in a gentle way.
• Results: Margaret can feel it. Her relationship with her grandson has deepened and it means the world to her. ❄️

Pearl Four

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler features two women: one is young and raising a family, the other elderly. The story is about their friendship and is a slow-burn read, heartwarming, and emotional. Excellent book-dessert. ❄️

Pearl Five

Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe.” ❄️

— James Clear

If you’ve lost weight, December is the only month in the year to keep your weight stable (within a four-pound window). But whatever you eat, keep your habits protected and safe from the holiday buffet line.

Stabilizing — what we once called plateaus — will give your body and mind the necessary and important time to adjust to your new normal weight. Stabilizing is the magic way to overcome the body’s “set-point” theory (that bodies always return to a certain weight). Blow your own mind by keeping your focus on stabilizing.

Have a great week!

♥, Wendy

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And given that computers can be so difficult, always feel free to ask in the comments below for Aunt Bea and I’ll get her right to you!

I am not an expert, doctor, surgeon, nurse, dietician, or nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Some magical moments come dressed in a huge heart surrounded in lots of fur.

Pearl One

You know how we’ve been told, “make a daily gratitude list?” I mean, of course, it’s helpful to be grateful for all that we have: yes, I love clean drinking water, a hot shower and frozen ice cream always on hand (not). Yes, I’m grateful for the Wright Brothers, women getting the vote and Robert Redford’s parents getting busy. But when I’d try to write a list it didn’t feel somehow right for me. (I guess the idea is to make a fresh new list each morning for that particular day.)

But what does speak to me: noticing the magical moments that are woven into our lives like lunch out with a niece you rarely see due to geography; vacationing with a friend you’ve known since college, or staying engaged with the hobby you adore (like seeing Broadway shows, riding your bike for hours knowing your day is wide open or going to the garage sales every Saturday).

So, in honor of magical moments, this is my moment’s list about taking weight off after fifty and keeping it off for a lifetime. Take a look:

• I’m so glad to be alive when these two humans are also alive. James Clear who wrote the best-seller Atomic Habits that gives the details on how to stage our life for ultimate success. The other human is Charles Duhigg who wrote The Power of Habit. Our moms and grandmas didn’t have this knowledge that we take for granted today. Our world now knows so much about how pivotal habits are, how to build them and how to strengthen them day by day. The way I see it, these two habit books are changing the entire weight loss/maintenance landscape.
• I’m so happy to live in a time when nutrition labels are on most grocery store items. Love nutrition labels for the knowledge they bring.
• I love that restaurants — from fast-food to Micheline starred restaurants – put their menu online making it a snap to plan a healthy restaurant meal in advance of dining out. (Funny, but pizza doesn’t look so alluring when you realize a slice of Mellow Mushroom’s meat pizza is 530 calories, 27 g fat, 1,370 mg sodium, and 48 g carbs. And who stops at one slice?)
• I am thrilled that I had an aha-moment in Sacramento traffic in the late 90s. I resolved then and there to truly change my eating habits rather than merely lose weight for the short run. It’s a tingly feeling when you know you’re having an aha. (But that being said, I don’t think you have to hit bottom and have an aha to lose and maintain forever.)
• And, yes, it was a magical moment when it dawned on me that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) specifically will make serious inroads to how we lose and maintain after fifty.
• When I think of certain people that I love having in my life — like my auto repair guy — I let him know how great he is and have brought homemade cookies just to show him that the love is real. Deepen the relationship with the magical people in your life by telling them how important they are to you. (I don’t mention the fur-kids because I know you give them all the hugs and kisses.)

I’m tickled that I’m alive for all of it: the labels, the online menus, that aha moment, CBT and the magical people. Share your favorite gratitude examples or your magical moments in the comments below. ❄️

Pearl Two

Our journal-writing prompt pearl. Pull out your journal and get to know yourself better!

• What small moment today made you stop and feel a spark of joy or wonder? Describe it in detail.
• What ordinary object or routine in your life feels unexpectedly beautiful or comforting when you notice it closely?
• Can you remember a fleeting encounter with a stranger or friend that left a lasting impression? What made it meaningful?
• Which sound, smell, or sight instantly brings a sense of peace or nostalgia to you? Why do you think that is?
• Describe a moment when time seemed to slow down. What were you experiencing, and how did it affect you?
• When you look back at your week, what tiny, easily overlooked moment would you call magical if you paid attention?
• How do acts of kindness, whether given or received, change the way you view a day or a person?
• Which doctor, dentist, hair stylist or veterinarian do you cherish for what they bring to your life?
• How do you deepen the magical moments?❄️

Pearl Three

Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff. Apply to your own life.

Initial Sequence

• Situation: Eleanor’s workplace moved out of state and she decided not to follow. She’s 59 and found a new job that pays less than she’d been making at her former company.
• Initial thought: “This job is beneath my level of experience. Every morning when I walk in the door, I roll my eyes.”
• Feeling: Irritated in general especially towards herself.
• Action: Eleanor begins drinking in the evening.
• Result: She grits her teeth while holding steady at her new job until she can retire.❄️

For the most part, we can’t do an immediate U-turn from an old sequence to a new one, instead we might need several bridge sequences here to take us from the initial thought to the final chosen thought. But eventually you’d be surprised how quickly you can do one!

Chosen Sequence

• Situation: Eleanor’s workplace moved out of state and she decided not to follow. She’s 59 and found a new job that pays less than she’d been making at her former company.
• Chosen thought: “I made the choice to not follow the company and I’m still 100 percent behind my decision. Moving would have put me further away from my adult kids. And I’m happy with my life in this town: I have friends, a veterinarian that I love, and a monthly book club that I’d really miss.”
• Feeling: Eleanor feels like she has her own back and feels capable and smart for deciding to stay put.
• Action: Eleanor does two things: first, she begins to look for the good in every day in her new job (and rereads her notes daily) and two, she stays open to landing a new position that is more commiserate to her skill level.
• Result: Eleanor doesn’t pine for the past because she acknowledges on a daily basis why not following the company was such a strong decision for her life. She embraces all the reason’s she didn’t leave town: she gets together with friends and her kids and deepens her enjoyment of their time together. ❄️

Pearl Four

Today I have a fantastic book-dessert recommendation that will give you all the Andy Griffith feels. This book felt to me like being a fly on the wall in a Mayberry home. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns starts off a bit slow with the author spending time setting the scene and the characters.

The book is set in the south and I just happened to listen to it on audio. The longer I listened to the book the more and more impressed I was with the narrator himself. He wasn’t just good, he was off-the-charts great. So I looked him up and turns out his real name is Grover Gardner, but also works under the name “Tom Parker,” has narrated 1500 books and is considered one of the best in the business.

So today I’m not recommending a book, I’m recommending the audio version of this book. The first half of the story is somewhat slow (but pleasant to read), the second half of the book really speeds up. Highly recommended. Total book-dessert.❄️

Pearl Five

Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” ❄️

Abraham Lincoln

I love giving books as gifts and here’s what I’ve given over the last few years.

Maintaining our weight is so difficult especially during the holidays, so just “hold” your current progress and give yourself an early gift by cutting yourself some slack.

Have a great week!

♥, Wendy

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And given that computers can be so difficult, always feel free to ask in the comments below for Aunt Bea and I’ll get her right to you!

I am not an expert, doctor, surgeon, nurse, dietician, or nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Turns out, maintaining a 55-pound weight loss – after age 50 — isn’t as easy as you might think.

Especially at the December holidays.

I love a tasty buzz as much as the next girl, but at the same time I don’t want to drink what are essentially boozy desserts and run screaming from my scale on January one.

Thing is, years ago I lost 55 pounds (by the time I turned 42). And I have zero interest in gaining and then re-losing that weight all over again.

So, behold the alcoholic calories that I rely on every November and December.

But first, a few tips:

1) Vodka has fewer calories than any other alcohol at about 100 calories for 1.5 ounces.

2) Don’t partake of high calorie meals or drinks without first taming your appetite. In other words, Eating Before You Eat or drink is a smart idea. Sip a cup or two of Trader Joe’s hot butternut squash soup, eat an apple with a teaspoon of peanut butter, or even have a small banana. Being hungry leads to goofball food and drink choices.

3) Decide in advance to keep your drink limit to two. No matter how low the calories, these sweethearts still add up.

On with the show.

Hot Chocolate with Rum.

Don’t be scared of making your own low calorie hot chocolate drink – this is totally do-able.

• 8 ounces chocolate almond milk (the 30-calorie almond milk if it’s in your store).
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder.
• 1 TBL syrup or 1/8 teaspoon stevia powder or 3-4 drops of liquid stevia.
• A moderate pour of rum 1 oz (30 ml) per cup of hot chocolate. (One ounce is 1/8 of a cup)

Heat your almond milk on the stove stirring continuously (burnt milk is not fun).

Once boiled, add the cocoa powder and syrup to your hot chocolate.

Finish up with 1.5 of vodka or one ounce of rum (64 calories).

For fun, I squirt a bit of whipped cream on top and add chocolate sprinkles (because I’m five).

Santa Clausmopolitan.

Forget for a second that this is the cutest holiday drink ever, it’s also – if done right — seriously low in calories too.

Begin creating your Santa Clausmopolitan by ignoring the recipes that say to rim your glass with a lime wedge and then dip in sanding sugar.

Why? Because sugar is very high in sugar.

But if you’re looking for super-pretty rim the glass in sugar!!

The Clausmopolitan I drink throughout holiday season involves vodka, low-calorie cranberry juice (pink emphasis mine), a splash of triple sec (high in calories so a dribble is best), fresh lime juice and fresh cranberries.

Chocolate Peppermint Patty.

This tasty drink is my very own creation. Did you know that you can buy chocolate almond milk and that it’s only about 100 calories for a full cup? (Somebody upstairs loves us.) Add one ounce vodka (about 75 calories) to your chocolate almond milk, a drop or two of mint extract, and ice. Yum.

Low Calorie Eggnog.

My darling grandma – who rarely drank – always said yes to a cup of egg nog laced with bourbon. As I got older I realized that the quintessential holiday drink held about a bajillion calories per innocent-looking, festive cup.

But then – cue angels singing on high – I stumbled upon the nut-nog market that sent the high calorie egg nogs packing!

Check out these sweet little numbers:

• I love the Trader Joe’s nog (in the cold section by the yogurts) with it’s insanely low 50 calories for a half cup.
• The Blue Diamond Almond milk Nog is also low at 60 calories for a half cup. (I serve this one to company.)
• The Silk nog’s soymilk comes in at 80 calories.
• The So Delicious coconut milk holiday nog clocks in at 90 calories for a half cup.

Just add bourbon (100 cals for 1.5 ounces) and a light sprinkle of nutmeg to create a boozy holiday adult drink.

Champagne.

Many years ago I had the best glass of champagne of my life at a la-de-da resort in Southern California. Ever since I order dry champagne as my standard drink year-round that boasts just 65 calories for four ounces (think: half cup). Sweet champagne jumps to just under 100 calories for four ounces which is why I stick with dry.

Skinny-Girl Cocktails.

I should tell you right off the bat that the Skinny-Girl drinks come in rich-girl prices. I love the Skinny-Girl low calorie margaritas, Skinny-Girl also has pina coloda, mojito and several other flavors. But the good news is that other brands have gotten in on the reduced calorie drink game too (like Jose Cuervo). So shop around for the best prices in your area.

The Simple Vodka Soda.

Pick your favorite low calorie soda and add 1.5 ounces of vodka. Bada boom.

The Vodka Martini.

Vodka, vermouth (105 calories for three ounces), and lemon peel.

• 2 1/2 ounces vodka
• 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Garnish: lemon twist
• For looks, add an olive-skewer

Mix with ice until chilled.

Hot Chocolate with Rum.

Don’t be scared of making your own low calorie hot chocolate – this is totally do-able.

• 8 ounces chocolate almond milk (the 30-calorie almond milk if it’s in your store).
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder.
• 1/8 teaspoon stevia powder or 3-4 drops of liquid stevia.

Heat your almond milk on the stove stirring continuously (burnt milk is not fun).

Once boiled, add the rest of the ingredients to your hot chocolate.

Finish up with 1.5 of vodka or one ounce of rum (64 calories).

For fun, I squirt a bit of whipped cream on top and add chocolate sprinkles (because I’m five).

And my work here is done!

Have a wonderful, low-calorie December!! And remember we eat to live – we don’t live to eat (mostly anyway).

If you have an awesome boozy drink to share: clue me in today!!

♥, Wendy

This December eat — and drink — with intention and blow January-You away.

Hello Thrivers!

This post is from the past but updated. I love the inherent message about you and I shaping December rather than allowing December to shape us.

As I explain every holiday season, December is not the time to focus on weight loss, but it is the perfect time to “hold” your weight throughout the thirty-one days. Remember beating yourself up is the polar opposite of what creates a lifetime weight loss. (I’ve tried both ways and only one works so be sweet with yourself.)

Let’s go!

Pearl One

I live in Atlanta where it’s hot in July. My sister lives in Arizona where it also gets into the billions every summer. My grandma was in Southern California.

• I call Atlanta’s heat, “humid.”
• My sister calls Tucson’s heat, “dry.”
• My LA-suburb grandma called the heat she lived in “muggy.”

When I tell you that it’s “blazing” or “freezing” outside, you immediately know what I mean.

Naming things makes them real and helps us talk about them with each other without calling concepts or items “the thingy.” We need to give “the thing” a real name.

Which leads to my point, we don’t have enough words for smart eating, and that needs to change.

Today, we’re talking about what I call “intentional eating.”

When I’ve strayed off the Smart Eating Path — because of course I do — and know that I’m too engaged in discovering which brand of ice cream has the best sale, one of the ways I rein myself in is with smart self-talk. I ask myself, “are you ready to get back to intentional-eating or do you want to continue going Cookie Monster on the kitchen?”

Asking myself this question is powerful because it floods my brain with everything that “intentional-eating” means to me including:

• having my smart foods on hand in the kitchen
• going everywhere with my cold-tote packed in smart snacks
• eating an early dinner at 6 p.m. and going to bed around 8 p.m. with a delicious book-dessert
• using the very effective “drip, drip, drip” method that I featured here.
• creating an “intentional eating list” (I tape on inside of cupboard) that will whisk me out of the doldrums and back to the smart food that I love. At that, I remember, “this is doable, this is doable, this really is doable.”

Your Takeaway

The next time you’ve overeaten — because you and I both will — and want to get back onto the Smart Eating Path, read your intentional eating list and gently guide yourself back to where you most want to be. ♥

Pearl Two

Our journal-writing prompt pearl! Write to these questions:

• Write an intentional eating list for yourself. Tape in Cupboard.
• What is the hardest part of staying on the smart eating plan?
• What’s the best part about smart eating?
• Do I take seriously that when I’m craving some type of food-porn, my body is really crying out for smart food?
• When I overeat or make an impulsive choice, how do I usually respond to myself? How can I respond to myself without judgment?
• How do I talk to myself when I’m struggling with food?
• What kind of self-talk would I most love to instill inside of me? ♥

Photo by Jorge Dominguez by Unsplash

Pearl Three

Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff. Apply to your own life.

The Initial Sequence

• Situation (be concrete): When I was a kid, Mom and Dad produced lavish Christmases for the kids and there was always one huge gift (the grand finale) at the end: one year it was a puppy, another bikes.
• Initial thought. “Yes, those were the days and I want to produce the same beautiful holidays for my kids!!
• Feeling: Stress to get the “right” gifts and a sense of urgency to make a masterpiece holiday one for the ages (every single year).
• Action: I rack my brain for gifts and end up spending money poorly.
• Result: December becomes a super stressful month as I bake the “right” cookies, find gorgeous wrapping paper, get the Christmas cards in the mail, and the wreath on the door and so forth.

The Chosen Sequence

• Situation (be concrete): When I was a kid, Mom and Dad produced lavish Christmases for the kids and there was always one huge gift (the grand finale) at the end: one year it was a puppy, another it was bikes.
• Chosen thought: “Yes, Mom and Dad produced a beautiful Christmas, but I need to remember that they also had a strict rule: they gave gifts on birthdays or at Christmas only. Otherwise, there were never gifts (other than back-to-school items in August). There was also one giant gift at each Christmas like a puppy or a bike. Because The Scarfer and I essentially get my sons what they need/want throughout the year, I simply can’t pull off an over-the-top grand event for the holidays.
• Feeling: Empathetic towards myself.
• Action: I’ve come to realize that of course I can’t do lavish gifts at Christmas-time if I also give my sons items throughout the year.
• Result: Happy to report that these days, my Decembers are way more chill. ♥

Photo by Natalie Grainger for Unsplash

Pearl Four

Cold outside? This read is like a mug of hot chocolate. Snuggle up with your fur-kid and Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. You might remember her as the author of The Shell Seekers. In Winter Solstice you’ll find cozy Cornwall, England, warm hearts, and family drama that makes it an ideal book-dessert for curling up and forgetting the world for a while. Plus it has a fun Christmas theme. ♥

Pearl Five

“The most important thing in life is to stop saying ‘I wish’ and start saying ‘I will’. Consider nothing impossible then treat possibilities as probabilities.” ♥

Charles Dickens

Okay, no presure but we’re now 24 days from Christmas Day. If you’re buying for kids, check out the Lego Christmas tree and Lego Santa on his sleigh with the reindeer. I wish my kids were still at the cute Lego stage. A couple of years back I gave each of them (so they can take into their adult lives) The Complete Calvin and Hobbes Hardcover Box Set or they also have a paperback box set. Who doesn’t love loves Calvin and his tiger!

I would love a follow Instagram or Facebook

Let’s do this together: live the holidays for January-You!

♥, Wendy

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And given that computers can be so difficult, always feel free to ask in the comments below for Aunt Bea and I’ll get her right to you!

I am not an expert, doctor, surgeon, nurse, dietician, or nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

We adults can take “a teachable moment” from the cutest among us.

Pearl One

I just read that some folks are going off their weight loss med in December – to allow for chowing over the holiday – but plan to re-start the med in January.

Oh, boy, but facepalm.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against the new medications (although I do hope that long-term side effects are minimal).

My concern is that the people going on and off the med aren’t learning anything. They want a magic pill to keep them in line and aren’t working to embed the muscles needed for a lifetime weight loss.

Thing is, whether we use a med, a stomach surgery or the old-fashioned method, everyone can learn how to preserve their loss for a lifetime. They only need curiosity and an understanding of the muscle’s importance in their life. It’s possible to lose for a lifetime, as long as we’re willing to put in the work.

As you know, I encourage us to preserve only during the Season of Calories, and spend December strengthening our habits. I always say, habits first and the scale will follow.

Like the folks going on and off the med, I’ve known people who had a gastric bypass surgery and went off the plan by “eating around their sleeve.” I found one woman throwing up at the dog park because her stomach refused the Chicken McNuggets and fries she was attempting to eat. Another – dear friend — had the gastric sleeve surgery, but continued to overeat and ended up making the surgery null and void.

Some might think, “Oh, what does it matter? So what if I stay on the med forever and only go off at certain times of the year. I mean, I can afford it. It’s the perfect solution!”

To that, I say this: you know how babies fall down over and over before they learn to walk and even when they do walk, they resemble “a drunken sailor?”

The baby had been a helpless newborn but then learned to sit up by herself and to crawl before taking on the Herculean work of learning to walk.

But what if the baby — after a few painful, frustrating attempts at walking — gave up thinking, “this is madness. Who needs this kind of frustration and pain? I’ll just chillax with my bottle; the adults seem to like carrying me around.”

And yet an entirely new world opens to the baby who sticks with the difficulty and learns to walk.

Well, what if it’s the same for us? What if we grownups are supposed to learn and grow as we face obstacles? Maybe we’re not meant to just kick back with our food-bottle anymore than the baby with her actual bottle. Truth is, if you find an easier way to lose weight — I say, go for it –, but when you’re ready to learn how to preserve for a lifetime, come have coffee with me. ❄️

Pearl Two

Preserve Your Hard work in December. Even if you won the cheesecake and pies at an auction for your grandson’s high school band fundraiser, don’t welcome the cheesecake and pie into your kitchen. These beautiful desserts are not your friend and don’t wish you well. (I’m sorry, but someone has to say it.)

Keep asking yourself our super star question: do I want to be a size 8 or do I want to eat the cheesecake? Gift the cheesecake and pies to the local police or fire station who will be thrilled to rescue you from the calories. ❄️

Pearl Three

Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff.

Automatic Sequence

• Situation (something very concrete): In Christmases past my grandma made special Italian cookies for us.
• Thought: I miss my grandma so much.
• Feeling: Sad, my heart hurts.
• Action: I stuff the feelings down, because they’ll “never be resolved.”
• Result: I take a big sigh and move on to something else.

Chosen Sequence

• Situation (something very concrete): In Christmases past my grandma made special Italian cookies for us.
• Chosen Thought: “I’m massively thankful that she was my grandma.”
• Feeling: A little burst of “happy.”
• Action: I want to bring Gram a little more into the holidays.
• Result: I bring out her extremely old tins that were used for holding cookies and display them in a pretty way. ❄️

Pearl Four

Books love us and want us to be happy.

About halfway through Open House by Elizabeth Berg I recognized a scene that I’ve always remembered but hadn’t remembered in which book the scene took place. It was this one! (Kind of cool.)

Open House came out in 2000 and is about a husband who wants a divorce, leaving his wife, Sam, to live in the home with their eleven year old son. We see an angry Sam going on a spending spree laying down $12,000 dollars at Tiffany. It sounds sad, but it’s a total upper.

I really love that Berg’s novels aren’t behemoth-sized and get into the story quickly. I loved Open House — a delicious book-dessert. ❄️

Pearl Five

The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I’m not going to let myself pull me down anymore.” — C. JoyBell ❄️

Gift alert for Kids! These true stories are ones that I read to my sons. All four of these books would make wonderful gifts for kids ages 3 to 9. Really you can’t go wrong with these four stories.

• The Bear that Heard Crying. Set in 1783 a little girl disappears into the woods, but is saved by a “big black dog.” A descendant of this little girl found this story while researching her family in New Hampshire records.
• Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship. An orphaned baby hippo and 130 year old giant turtle bond.
• Owney, The Post Office Dog And Other Great Dog Stories. A dog rides the rails with the postal people. Owney is now stuffed and lives in the Smithsonian.

Fiction stories. Do you know the Henry and Mudge stories? They are the most heart-warming stories ever. I read Henry and Mudge aloud to my kids initially and later the boys used the Henry and Mudge books as they were learning to read. They are sweet times 1000.

• Henry and Mudge a box collection made of the six first Henry and Mudge books.
• This Henry and Mudge box collection holds every book of the boy and his dog.

Eight days and ten hours to lift off!

♥, Wendy

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!!

I am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse, dietician, or a nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Pearl One

Iron Man opens to “Back in Black.” Star Wars to its iconic opening’s symphony piece. And The Lion King to “Circle of Life.”

We even know a show’s name solely by it’s opening music: “I’ll be there for you” and “there’s this story of a lovely lady…”

The power of music. Hollywood and the ad guys have understood for decades how to use music to send chills of excitement up and down our spines, to set the scene, and to foreshadow what’s to come. (Think of the scary opening of Jaws. The da-da-dum was created with a piano and tuba. It’s a sequence we’ll never forget.)

Parents do it for babies and young kids when they sing lullabies. School House Rock used it to teach us about all kinds of things from grammar to the government.

Music is its own super power.

There are so many ways to use music for our highest good as we make this trek up the “lose after fifty” mountain. Let’s choose the right song to get through difficult days or difficult long-term projects.

We already use music for workouts, but we can also use it for any difficult moment. Why not play “upper” songs the next time you’re dealing with difficult family, or terrible red tape, or grief and sadness.

These are my go-to songs today that I wish I’d had as a teen: “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”, “Roar” and “Born this Way. When you have a moment, play with this idea of music as therapy. Create your favorite “mood” songs list and use it to support yourself through the toughest of times. ❄️

Pearl Two

Run, don’t Walk. Faux eggnog (I add the rum.) Tiny gingerbread men. Boozy Macarons. Yum-city. All three are found in Trader Joe’s. All three are way lower in calories than their regular counterparts.

The fun food I also love to have during the holidays: candy canes or popcorn drizzled in chocolate. If I really want something tasty, I’ll save it for tomorrow’s morning coffee. ❄️

Pearl Three

Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff.

Automatic Sequence

I’m speaking as if I’m Susan.

• Situation (something very concrete): I see the oncologist on Thursday.
• Thought: Both Tracy and Jackie died of what I have. I’ll lose my hair.
• Feeling: Terrified.
• Action: I overeat.
• Result: I wait with fear for the appointment and feel bad about my body.

Chosen Sequence

• Situation (something very concrete): I see the oncologist on Thursday.
• Chosen thought: I’ve gotten through hard times in the past and I’ll get through this newest battle now. I will focus on Groucho Marx who said, “patience is the art of finding something else to do.”
• Feeling: Surprised. I hadn’t looked at it that way. (One does need a lot of patience when dealing with everything medical.)
• Action: In finding something to do while I’m patient for the conclusion to my health issue, I’ve decided to adopt an older, small dog whose energy matches mine. I’ll likely fuss over her and take her to the small dog park.
• Result: My rescue-dog is home with me and I’ve named her “Truffles.” ❄️

Pearl Four

Books love us and want us to be happy!

I’m just getting into Earth’s the Right Place for Love by Elizabeth Berg and I’m wondering why I hadn’t found this writer sooner. She’s not only good, but she’s prolific too so we have a lot to choose from.

This story just came out in 2023 and it falls under the genre literary fiction. I’m halfway into this one and it’s an excellent read. Five star book-dessert. You’ll like it. ❄️

Pearl Five

There is just no getting around that turning bad things into good things is up to you.” ❄️

Deepak Chopra

I’m thinking about doing a four-night cruise with friends in early 2026. I noticed how just thinking about the plans have given me a little jolt of happiness.

Have a great week!!

♥, Wendy p.s. I’m still looking for those who live with scarfers!

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!!

I am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse, dietician, or a nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.