So the week has officially started. I am salivating just looking at the restaurant list and wondering if I should begin with something exotic such as the General Toa poutine from La bêtise or opt for a classic but solid poutine from Montreal Poutine, that I keep hearing about. 

And then I’m reminded that I’m going to Turks and Caicos in two weeks. This means that I will have to bare my pasty winter pale skin in a bikini. Since I’m already at the limit of my comfortable winter weight (that I judge by praying before trying out my summer shorts because I don’t believe in scales) and that I would ideally like to feel more like a beach bunny than a beached whale, there is little margin for weight gain.

What’s a girl to do? Say goodbye to my visions of duck confit, foie gras, shredded lamb shank, triple cooked fries, gravy, red wine sauce, cheese curds and cheese galore? Never. 

Here are my strategies for making sure that I will not have a meltdown when trying on my bikini a day before departure. You are welcome to implement them on your own even if you are staying here in the freezing cold. Not to rub it in or anything. So no need to pull out your stretchy pants and give into denial just yet. 

I will give myself a zero tolerance policy for skipping workouts because I want to snooze or because the calling from my couch is too strong. I am all for having a moderate approach to a healthy lifestyle, but if I am going to be eating poutine all week sticking religiously to my exercise schedule will help me avoid that dreaded weight gain. 

Speaking of said workouts, I will add ten minutes of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) at the end of each of one of my sweat sessions. This will be helpful to burn extra calories and keep my metabolism revved-up to process poutine consumption. No need to train for a marathon, just add ten little minutes. 

Living downtown, it is very easy for me to spend days without having meals at home. I have to motivate myself constantly to cook and to go to dinner once or twice a week rather than everyday. Especially that I like dinner with lots of wine, that I am silent once the bread basket arrives because I am too busy smothering it with butter and stuffing it into my mouth and that I have a second stomach for dessert, even when no one wants to share. As part of my preventative weight gain strategy, I will limit my meals out to poutine festivities and consequently corrupt my friends into joining.

As for what is consumed within the rest of my meals, I will focus on eating plenty of fruits and veggies and having several mini meals throughout the day that include lean protein, complex carbohydrates and a bit of healthy fats. This will help me feel satiated but not too bloated. 

I have also decided to do what I thought was previously unthinkable for me. I will cut out alcohol. Anyone who knows me would gasp. Not that I am an alcoholic, but I enjoy wine with my food and vodka sodas when I go out. I am vain and I really want to look good in that bikini, what can I say. You don’t need to do the same, especially that poutine and beer or poutine and wine pairings sound wonderful. Just try to stick to not more than a couple of drinks, those calories really add up. 

I think the basic idea behind my little tweaks is that you can have it all, just not all at the same time. 

Happy Poutine Week ! 

- ANOUARE ABDOU