keeping weight off over holiday and winter months

deksgrl

Small deficit through the week, 250-300 calories a day, then enjoy the events without going too overboard.

mave34

This is my first holiday season active and consistent on MFP and I am a little worried but not so much over the foods but more so the wine and spirits It's all the same really a calorie is a calorie and I know I haven't the room to incorporate anything extra. I plan on adding extra exercise and to allow myself a couple days off to avoid a week long binge.

sheepotato

If you are really struggling with it, then consider volunteering at a food bank or a soup kitchen during the holidays (or after, people are still hungry when it's not a holiday). Replacing the guilt of overindulging with the reward of making a small difference in someone's life can really turn around the holidays for you. It helped me really appreciate all that I had when I met people who were so much happier with less.

smittybuilt19

It's just like every other day of the year in that it should involve moderation. That sounds nice don't it? lol. I have serious self control issues over the holidays. I do keep telling myself, moderation, moderation, but it is truly difficult.

Capt_Apollo's approach (see above) is one I had never thought of. Start a new physical training program, or sign up for a new years fun run/walk. It will give you a reason to stay accountable to yourself.

Personally, I'm just thinking of the 20 lbs I put on last holiday season, it's kind of working. I did start a new lifting program which has me excited in the weight room and working a little harder, hopefully that will combat the treats.

ramble ramble ramble

cosmichvoyager

I am finding it harder to be motivated to exercise due to the dark days and the weather so I signed up for some classes at the gym and pre-paid for them. Even though I am not doing as much as I did last spring/summer I have 3 paid classes a week that I have to do or lose the cash for nothing.

Moderating food is not that hard for me, but some of that is because I'm not in a social group or workplace where everyone is pushing sweets and fatty foods on me all the time. That would be tough!
Oh, and lower calorie drinking --spirits with diet mixers + a lot of dancing when I do drink.

DeWoSa

According to everything I've read on MFP, the first 5-7 pounds will be water weight that just drops off once I go back to deficit, so I'm not too worried about it.

Also, my TDEE is 1964. In order to gain 1 pound, I would have to eat 3500 calories above 1964. Even if I overate by 1000 calories a day, that would only be two pounds a week, so the most I'd go up is four pounds over my two week holiday season eat-a-thon.

So, water weight of 5 pounds, actual weight of 4 pounds gives me a gain of 9 pounds at the end of two weeks.

After going back to deficit, I'd be down 5 pounds within a week, and the other 4 pounds would take a month. And that's if I overeat every day for 14 days by 1000 calories.

Which I'm not planning on doing. I'll be eating at a deficit when I can, eating at maintenance when I'm able, and overeating on Christmas and when we go out to dinner.

And today. Office Christmas part is in T - 2 hours. Strap the feedbag on.

rainbow198

For me it's all about balance. I'm very mindful of what I eat. I mainly eat whole foods, I rarely drink my calories, I fit in and plan out my treats and write my meals down in my journal. Also I'm active everyday (power walking, light/heavy weights, bodyweight work and/or Pilates).

When I look at treats I ask myself is it worth the calories. For example 9 pieces of Hershey's Kisses are 200 calories. To me it's not worth it because I know I would eat more than 9 and there are better choices I could snack on for less calories/better satisfaction.

Other times, like last Friday I made some homemade bread sticks with a very tasty parm. cheese/butter/garlic powder dipping sauce. I ate more than I planned, but I cut out some other carby foods in that meal.

Nothing is off limits for me though, I never stopped eating carbs, flour, sugar, pasta, ice cream, pizza etc., I just don't eat nearly as much as I did when I was obese.

I've learned to eat slowly and savor each bite. I used to cram food down my throat not aware of any calories and barely enjoyed it.

I am lucky because I am tall and active so my maintenance calories are pretty high, but I don't see myself straying from this routine anytime soon. It works well for me...haven't gained any weight back and I don't feel like it's a struggle, but it took me a while to get to this point.

Enjoy your food and treats with your friends and family, but try not to over do it. Happy Holidays!

Vanilla_Lattes

My work has been doing a 12 days of Christmas thing. Different snacks every day. Idk, I've just been bringing my lunch like normal. I guess it doesn't tempt me that much. I keep treats that I like at home so I don't really want ones I don't care about. I also allow myself chocolate everyday anyway so .. Maybe I'm no help, the food everywhere hasn't gotten to me this year.

Linnaea27

Like Nolan1009, I'm trying to use any overeating as a chance to fuel weight workouts. I also like to go for a long run or XC ski session on the morning of any festivities-- that's what I did on the 2 Thanksgivings I was a part of, and it worked really well. Also, taking really small portion sizes, or if someone serves you too much food, saving some of it for later rather than stuffing yourself because they put it on your plate, prevents some of the overeating at dinners.

If I do eat a lot, especially carbs, on a holiday, I use that as fuel for a long cardio workout the next day. I also tend to not be hungry the day after overeating, so I sometimes make up for it by just not eating much, though I have to watch it with that because it does tend toward binge/restrict if there are too many celebrations.

For the extra food at work, I have trouble with that too-- but just saying no to yourself is the best solution, along with bringing some nice, small, not-so-sugary treat like some dark chocolate with you to have instead of the cupcakes or whatever that are on every surface at work.

cwolfman13

One big thing I've noticed is that people tend to "naturally" decrease their activity. It's dark and cold and people just tend to be more sedentary during the winter months. You combine that natural tendency with heavier foods in general and comfort eating and the holiday season, you get kind of a triple whammy.

For me, I still get out on my ride, but nowhere near the miles I do in the spring, summer, and fall...but I hit the weight room hard...lights are on and the gym is heated. I'm also vigilant about my overall diet and nutrition during the week and let these relax a bit more on the weekends as I will be attending various holiday parties and functions.

I did a fine job of maintenance last year during the winter and holiday season...this year I'm intentionally doing a bulk since early September...it is very deliberate though and doesn't mean "eat all the cookies"...I just figure it's a good time of year to do it since there are more calories around and I spend more time in the weight room.

My plan is to move back into maintenance after the holidays and then into a cut when temps start to warm up and I naturally move to spending more time on my bike.

dopeysmelly

My plan is to bake all the goodies from scratch, use the recipe builder and surf around for good (honest) comparisons of the one or two things I buy, and log everything I eat at home outside Christmas Day and New Years Day. Meals out, I'll manage as usual - moderation, choose wisely and skip bread/dessert/2nd glass of wine unless it's really worth it.

I also plan on fitting more exercise in on the days I have off work than I would normally do, since I have the time. I figure I have to earn those calories for that gingerbread cookie/cheese and port/Christmas cake/Christmas pudding/croissant for breakfast that I wouldn't normally have, and the best way to do that is to exercise more. Last year, I would have just sat on my big butt and done something sedentary, but I just don't think I could handle being still for that long now.

I started on MFP on Jan 22 this year, so I know the winter thing doesn't necessarily have to mean gaining weight (when you don't want to). Well, I'll keep telling myself that..

MoiAussi93

During the holidays...or anytime I have a more social week than usual...I make it a point to eat especially well in the days before and after the events. I eat a little less than normal so I can splurge a little when I want to. I typically do this to some extent anyway...a little bit of calorie cycling makes me not feel deprived over the long term. And there is a theory...not 100% proven so I am not representing this as fact but I figure there is no downside to trying...that calorie cycling actually helps with weight loss or maintenance by keeping metabolism from slowing down. If nothing else, it absolutely is helping me stick to my healthy habits. The psychological benefit cannot be ignored.

Also, if you are going to something where you know there will be a lot of unhealthy food...eat something light before you go so you aren't hungry. Or drink some psyllium seed husk mixed with water before you go...it has almost no calories, lots of fiber, and you will feel full which really will help you eat less. Research has actually proven that people who drink psyllium before meals eat a few hundred calories less.

Finally, I don't deprive myself too much. If I really want something, I have it...just a smaller amount than I used to. At Thanksgiving there were three different pies on the table...I had very small pieces of each...together they added up to one medium sized piece. I got to try everything without going overboard.

KANGOOJUMPS

I just keep heading outdoors for nice long walks.

allanakern

don't skip meals before a holiday party - have a protein shake, something high in protein before you go. it'll help you keep your portion small if its an event you feel you "have" to eat at......like a work party or something where you'd feel funny if you didn't take a little something. I did that for my work party but I was so satisfied from my protein shake I was able to take just some veggies and a little piece of meat

emdeesea

I bought a light box and sit in front of it daily from 6-6:30 a.m. because I have a bad case of SAD. This seems to work very well and I don't get the winter food cravings or depression.

As far as the holiday food, I have a treat here and there, but I don't overdo it. To be honest, I have an easier time losing weight in the winter than I do the summer. I think it's partly because we don't celebrate Christmas and we rarely do anything for new years. Those are like every other day. But in the summer, there are picnics, festivals, carnivals, etc. So many more things going on for us.

spoiledpuppies

I do best by abstaining altogether--not from the events, but from the food. If I'm at a meal, I make sure to stick with plain salad and meat, which is usually possible. At a sit-down, there's often turkey or ham, so I would just have the lightest cuts. If it's more of an appetizer/mingle setting, then it's easy to just not have anything. I agree about focusing on socializing.

I LOVE sweets/desserts. For these, I definitely find that abstaining is best for me. I could eat platters and platters full, and I know that a 1.5-inch brownie/bar bite can pack as much as 200 calories. In a social setting of just grabbing things occasionally, that can add up quickly. I'd rather focus on socializing and save the treat for a time I can really savor it.

Quote from a wise friend: "It's about valuing what you want most over what you want now." I remind myself of that on occasion--usually after I've successfully passed up a treat, so it maybe didn't help to stop me from eating it in the first place, but it reinforces my decision and values (and I usually smile a bit to myself as I think it!).