Dealing with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and other special occasions

callmecarina
callmecarina Posts: 145 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I recently joined the Fall Weight Loss Challenge thread, and I'm pretty excited to see how well I do! Since it's an Autumn challenge, I'd love some opinions on how some of you who have been at this a while handle Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc. Halloween's candy haul is fairly manageable, but Thanksgiving is the one feast of the year that I seriously look forward to just enjoying everything, but I know I'll have to show some restraint.

I plan on making healthier* versions of my go-to holiday dishes, but I can't control how everyone else cooks their food. I'm thinking about trying to cram in a serious cardio session the day before and the morning of Thanksgiving.

What have your past experiences been for surviving special occasions, especially around food-centric Autumn? How successful have you been in canceling out the calorie intake with activity? What has worked best for you?

Also, I'd love it if you shared some healthier* variations of your favorite seasonal recipes. :)

Thanks, everyone!

*I know that not everyone agrees on what they consider "healthy." In general, I mean whatever you do to lower fat, carbs, sugar, or just substitute in more friendly foods (i.e. applesauce instead of oil, using avocado instead of butter, etc.)

[Edit: I'd like to be clear that I would love to hear only about strategies that have worked for you in showing [i]some[/i] restraint around the holidays. I know that it's just one day a year, but for me, personally, that one day of just letting loose leads entirely too easily into getting back into the lifestyle of letting loose every day. Thanks, all!]
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Replies

  • aspdenbrae
    aspdenbrae Posts: 49 Member
    If it's a holiday you truly enjoy, then enjoy it. Living in a world where nothing get enjoyed just seems boring as hell. Add in a lot of extra cardio through that week and go back to your regular diet afterwards. You'll likely gain a few pounds but it's not like you do it every week. Just my thoughts.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    We don't substitute any ingredients. Thanksgiving and Christmas are two days a year, plus leftovers. OK, and Christmas cookies.

    I go for reasonable portions, except the chocolate pie. I eat it all.

    I think that if someone is wound up so tightly that he can't splurge a little and enjoy special occasions, he may have some prioritization issues.

    You have 363 other days to worry about how many carbs are in the pie. Live a little. Don't go crazy. Log it. Move on.
  • Bukawww
    Bukawww Posts: 159 Member
    I plan on enjoying my holiday meals. I have 3 nutrition plans that I follow.

    #1 is my most ideal for steady, healthy weight loss (1000-1500cal deficit, low carb, high fat, moderate protein, 'healthy' foods, loads of activity).

    #2 plan is to make the best choices I can with what is available, increase my calorie allotment but still remain in a smaller deficit and/or increase my activity to maintain a smaller deficit.

    #3 is saved for holidays, special occasions, and girl days lol. Eat whatever I want at maintenance.

    #3 usually ends up making me feel gross, heart burn, sluggish, bloating, etc and I'm reminded why I actually love plans #1/#2 better anyway lol.

    Life is still meant to be lived...it never has to be all or nothing.
  • pegastarlight
    pegastarlight Posts: 26 Member
    Thanksgiving and Christmas aren't going to really be much of a setback as long as you avoid the extra foods people bring into work or other places. Limit yourself just to what you have at home, and if you have a lot of left over cookies and such, be that person who brings it to your workplace and wreck everyone else's diets. That's what I do.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    callmecarina wrote: »
    I recently joined the Fall Weight Loss Challenge thread, and I'm pretty excited to see how well I do! Since it's an Autumn challenge, I'd love some opinions on how some of you who have been at this a while handle Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc. Halloween's candy haul is fairly manageable, but Thanksgiving is the one feast of the year that I seriously look forward to just enjoying everything, but I know I'll have to show some restraint.

    I plan on making healthier* versions of my go-to holiday dishes, but I can't control how everyone else cooks their food. I'm thinking about trying to cram in a serious cardio session the day before and the morning of Thanksgiving.

    What have your past experiences been for surviving special occasions, especially around food-centric Autumn? How successful have you been in canceling out the calorie intake with activity? What has worked best for you?

    Also, I'd love it if you shared some healthier* variations of your favorite seasonal recipes. :)

    Thanks, everyone!

    *I know that not everyone agrees on what they consider "healthy." In general, I mean whatever you do to lower fat, carbs, sugar, or just substitute in more friendly foods (i.e. applesauce instead of oil, using avocado instead of butter, etc.)

    My Thanksgiving strategy is this:

    The things I don't get year round - I leave the recipes alone (mostly) I just eat smaller portions (ie: no 2nds).

    The things I get year round - these are not such a big deal. I can skip mashed potatoes....but put gravy on my turkey instead. I can tweak these recipes all I want.

    Don't go crazy tweaking recipes (especially with company).....they are not on a diet. Sweet potatoes can be lower sugar, no problem. Make a nice Pumpkin Angel Cake, light option for whoever wants it.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,368 Member
    Personally, I don't worry about it. It's just a couple days, and I don't eat that stuff often so I don't care if I end up at maintenance that week (last year I ate 4200 calories on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas, and still ended up at deficit those week... granted I was sick after Christmas from eating too much...). Don't care about Halloween, I can have candy any time during the year.

    You can skip what you eat the rest of the time, and just focus on what you only have on those occasions, or you can fill up on the lower calorie stuff and just have a bit of the high calorie stuff... it's up to you. Honestly I had a good plan last year until dessert, then **** got serious... lol. But we had like 4 pies on Thanksgiving, and for Christmas I made a chestnut cream Yule log that was to die for, and I have a major sweet tooth... I exercised on Thanksgiving but not Christmas, obviously, as I have little kids.

    For recipes, check Skinnytaste though!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,149 Member
    They're just like any other day as far as logging is concerned. You eat a little more, you log it and move on.
  • randomsue
    randomsue Posts: 179 Member
    This is a tough one. No matter what, I always cook so I can control what I will eat. If you go elsewhere, you can say no knowing you have something at home. If you have to have it, still divide your plate. Half veggies, 1/4 protein and 1/4 carb. Treat desserts as a carb on that plate, something like green bean casserole as a carb because of the sauce and fried onions but roasted brussel sprouts would go on the veggie side. The closer to the true form of the veggies, the easier it is to put it on the veggie side. I dont eat any bread or rolls at all. No matter if its grandmas special rolls. Dont care, takes up carb space. Rather have that special dessert. :) Don't drink your calories and if you want seconds, pick veggies or another protein. You can still indulge but it won't be too horrible.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    i'm not a really big candy guy so i'm not terribly tempted by my kids candy...any candy that we do not hand out, my wife and i just take to work.

    Thanksgiving is just a day and so is Christmas...feasting now and then or otherwise celebrating special occasions really isn't particularly relevant in the grand scheme of things. i personally don't tread the whole holiday season as some kind of reason to be a glutton and eat all of the cookies and whatnot. i enjoy myself on the holidays and usually attend a couple of holiday parties during the "season" and that's about it...again, pretty irrelevant to the bigger picture.

    weight management, health, fitness, etc...these things aren't predicated on occasions...they are predicated on what you're doing most of the time...like throughout the entire year(s).
  • callmecarina
    callmecarina Posts: 145 Member
    I want to be clear that I'm not asking advice on how to avoid eating my favorite foods altogether on special occasions. I'm asking how some of you have handled showing some restraint around the holidays. I do apologize, I should have made that more apparent in my original post! I will go and edit now.

    For those of you who don't show restraint-- thank you very much for responding! However, that particular advice is not what I was hoping for. If that works for you, then that's fabulous! And more power to you. :) For me, I've noticed that if I don't have a certain (even small) level of discipline, it's entirely too easy for me to fall off the wagon altogether.

    Thanks!
  • amillenium
    amillenium Posts: 281 Member
    I think celebrating the day of the holiday or even a few days isn't a big deal (including a few seasonal parties)...I like to enjoy. :) I think where people run into trouble is that the day or few days of celebration turn into a season of gluttony lasting from October to the end of December. I don't indulge in every Christmas cookie brought to the office or leftover Halloween candy. I DO enjoy the day of Thanksgiving and Christmas having whatever I would like with my family. Oh and booze on NYE cause I like champagne. I like it a lot. :)
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    Im going to eat whatever candy ,chocolate & special foods I feel like for Halloween. Its my favourite holiday so im going to enjoy myself & not think of calories or logging for the day. I will go back to normal the next day

    As far as Christmas goes, I pretty much do not log for the week of Christmas and im still alive so its all good. I dont eat any Christmas food until its actually Christmas Eve though. Im not one to be basically eating all the special stuff all December so that probably helps

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    callmecarina wrote: »
    I want to be clear that I'm not asking advice on how to avoid eating my favorite foods altogether on special occasions. I'm asking how some of you have handled showing some restraint around the holidays. I do apologize, I should have made that more apparent in my original post! I will go and edit now.

    For those of you who don't show restraint-- thank you very much for responding! However, that particular advice is not what I was hoping for. If that works for you, then that's fabulous! And more power to you. :) For me, I've noticed that if I don't have a certain (even small) level of discipline, it's entirely too easy for me to fall off the wagon altogether.

    Thanks!

    you asked what people are doing...people are telling you what they're doing.

    otherwise, self control is a practiced thing...just exercise it.
  • abetterluke
    abetterluke Posts: 625 Member
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    We don't substitute any ingredients. Thanksgiving and Christmas are two days a year, plus leftovers. OK, and Christmas cookies.

    I go for reasonable portions, except the chocolate pie. I eat it all.

    I think that if someone is wound up so tightly that he can't splurge a little and enjoy special occasions, he may have some prioritization issues.

    You have 363 other days to worry about how many carbs are in the pie. Live a little. Don't go crazy. Log it. Move on.

    Basically this. I bought a house this year and plan to host thanksgiving dinner for the first time. I'm not planning on substituting anything really. Halloween is a fairly easy one to control.

    Christmas is by far my biggest weakness. Usually from Dec 1-25 I am making every Christmas treat I can think of...and eating them all within a day or two. Honestly I think I'm going to make a list of the things I want to make and then narrow them down to a few and actually schedule when they will get made. I also may very well switch to maintenance for the month of December.
  • callmecarina
    callmecarina Posts: 145 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    you asked what people are doing...people are telling you what they're doing.

    otherwise, self control is a practiced thing...just exercise it.

    Which is exactly why I edited the post and posted the clarification.

    Thanks!
  • missblondi2u
    missblondi2u Posts: 851 Member
    This will be my first round of holidays on MFP, but I plan to use what I've called the Piggybank method where I save calories from prior days to use for special occasions.

    I have a food item I created called Piggybank for 100 calories. During the week leading up to Thanksgiving, I will log one Piggybank each day, so on the big day I have banked calories I can use to offset my overeating. The scale might bump up just a bit the next day, but my overall deficit for the week will remain intact.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,151 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    They're just like any other day as far as logging is concerned. You eat a little more, you log it and move on.

    +1
  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
    amillenium wrote: »
    I think celebrating the day of the holiday or even a few days isn't a big deal (including a few seasonal parties)...I like to enjoy. :) I think where people run into trouble is that the day or few days of celebration turn into a season of gluttony lasting from October to the end of December. I don't indulge in every Christmas cookie brought to the office or leftover Halloween candy. I DO enjoy the day of Thanksgiving and Christmas having whatever I would like with my family. Oh and booze on NYE cause I like champagne. I like it a lot. :)

    This is really true! It's not the one day, it's the whole season or the days after the holiday where you're still off track, which is what I think the OP was asking about. I recommend eating whatever you want on the holiday but still logging it--even if you're guessing after the fact (as in, "I think I ate 1/3 of grandma's chocolate pie, let me find an entry for chocolate pie and enter 1/3 of a pie's worth"). This way, you can both enjoy the holiday, but not get derailed by stopping tracking altogether. One day of no tracking can very easily turn into a week, which turns into a month. One day of tracking too many calories rarely does that. Good luck!
  • callmecarina
    callmecarina Posts: 145 Member
    LeslieB042812 wrote: »
    amillenium wrote: »
    I think celebrating the day of the holiday or even a few days isn't a big deal (including a few seasonal parties)...I like to enjoy. :) I think where people run into trouble is that the day or few days of celebration turn into a season of gluttony lasting from October to the end of December. I don't indulge in every Christmas cookie brought to the office or leftover Halloween candy. I DO enjoy the day of Thanksgiving and Christmas having whatever I would like with my family. Oh and booze on NYE cause I like champagne. I like it a lot. :)

    This is really true! It's not the one day, it's the whole season or the days after the holiday where you're still off track, which is what I think the OP was asking about. I recommend eating whatever you want on the holiday but still logging it--even if you're guessing after the fact (as in, "I think I ate 1/3 of grandma's chocolate pie, let me find an entry for chocolate pie and enter 1/3 of a pie's worth"). This way, you can both enjoy the holiday, but not get derailed by stopping tracking altogether. One day of no tracking can very easily turn into a week, which turns into a month. One day of tracking too many calories rarely does that. Good luck!

    Thanks, this is actually very helpful to think about. I suppose that my main concern is that overindulging on special holidays really does make it so much easier to continue the overindulgence throughout the season. This is my main concern-- I'm afraid I'll fall off the wagon! :open_mouth:
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
    I agree, I have a little of everything, I don't modify recipes, I log. :)
  • hamlet1222
    hamlet1222 Posts: 459 Member
    what I do is skip or have very light meals either side of the big one. Where I'm really weird though is on Easter Sunday, I just eat my chocolate eggs and have one normal meal that day (it freaks my family out though) - and manage to stay under 2500 calories doing so.
  • callmecarina
    callmecarina Posts: 145 Member
    pegastarlight wrote: »
    Thanksgiving and Christmas aren't going to really be much of a setback as long as you avoid the extra foods people bring into work or other places. Limit yourself just to what you have at home, and if you have a lot of left over cookies and such, be that person who brings it to your workplace and wreck everyone else's diets. That's what I do.

    That's great advice, especially because I am a big-time baker and make tons more food than necessary. I'll bring peace, joy, and cookies to all! lol
  • abetterluke
    abetterluke Posts: 625 Member
    hamlet1222 wrote: »
    what I do is skip or have very light meals either side of the big one. Where I'm really weird though is on Easter Sunday, I just eat my chocolate eggs and have one normal meal that day (it freaks my family out though) - and manage to stay under 2500 calories doing so.

    I pretty much do the same on Easter. Sometimes I'll have breakfast. I'm all about the cadbury cream eggs.
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,073 Member
    aspdenbrae wrote: »
    If it's a holiday you truly enjoy, then enjoy it. Living in a world where nothing get enjoyed just seems boring as hell. Add in a lot of extra cardio through that week and go back to your regular diet afterwards. You'll likely gain a few pounds but it's not like you do it every week. Just my thoughts.

    That
  • FitMomOK
    FitMomOK Posts: 72 Member
    i pick some favorites to splurge on ex pumpkin pie & stuffing. i try to keep other stuff out of the house. i also have a green salad and steamed veg out. the one meal i have what i want, with some salad & veg to fill up some of the plate. i plan for that day and a few days of leftovers to be high, then eat lighter meals the rest of the week, ex broth based soup w leftover turkey. Those two weeks are still higher in calories, but add in some long walks with the family and it's not terrible. just log, know it's part of your plan, and get back on track the next week.
  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
    callmecarina wrote: »
    LeslieB042812 wrote: »
    amillenium wrote: »
    I think celebrating the day of the holiday or even a few days isn't a big deal (including a few seasonal parties)...I like to enjoy. :) I think where people run into trouble is that the day or few days of celebration turn into a season of gluttony lasting from October to the end of December. I don't indulge in every Christmas cookie brought to the office or leftover Halloween candy. I DO enjoy the day of Thanksgiving and Christmas having whatever I would like with my family. Oh and booze on NYE cause I like champagne. I like it a lot. :)

    This is really true! It's not the one day, it's the whole season or the days after the holiday where you're still off track, which is what I think the OP was asking about. I recommend eating whatever you want on the holiday but still logging it--even if you're guessing after the fact (as in, "I think I ate 1/3 of grandma's chocolate pie, let me find an entry for chocolate pie and enter 1/3 of a pie's worth"). This way, you can both enjoy the holiday, but not get derailed by stopping tracking altogether. One day of no tracking can very easily turn into a week, which turns into a month. One day of tracking too many calories rarely does that. Good luck!

    Thanks, this is actually very helpful to think about. I suppose that my main concern is that overindulging on special holidays really does make it so much easier to continue the overindulgence throughout the season. This is my main concern-- I'm afraid I'll fall off the wagon! :open_mouth:

    Glad it's helpful. It's actually been a big breakthrough for me because I had the same problem with getting derailed by special occasions and weekend getaways. Once I started tracking everything anyway, I found it wasn't a derailer. Nothing like seeing your log of a 3,000 calorie day to jolt you back into discipline! lol
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited September 2015
    I'm not really into going crazy for halloween anymore, so i don't do anything for that. Maybe i'll have a few snack size chocolates or something but i definitely stay within my calorie goal.

    Thanksgiving and Christmas I don't track my calories, however, I don't go ALL OUT RIDICULOUS either. I eat a little bit of everything i want and I stop when i'm full. I used to eat until i felt physically ill on those days before.

    I just take the time to cherish the chance to see loved ones and family and i don't hold myself back under such circumstances. Same for my birthday. ;)

    edited to add: Also, We always eat for thanksgiving and christmas "dinner" around 2-3 in the afternoon so we usually forgo eating breakfast and dinner that day with all the stuffing we get in. ;)
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,054 Member
    edited September 2015
    It sounds like you have a handle on it. As others have said, two big meals over the span of 3 months is a blip. Holidays are to be enjoyed!

    Since you asked what others do, here's what it is for me.
    1) It took me a long time to avoid Halloween candy. I really used to love it. Now I save myself for the stuff that it is truly superb, gorgeous little works of chocolate art. Something worth savoring, not gorging on. I.e. not mass produced stuff that comes in supersaver family size bags. That's what I tell myself. Over & over. As many times as necessary. The trick is, it helps to have truly special chocolate on hand (or in my near future) to make it real.
    2) I am the holiday meal cook, and it's all pretty healthy food, save the desserts. I really don't worry about these meals. I have a reasonable size dessert and lots of champagne. Cheers!

    The bigger challenges for me are:
    3) Holiday parties. I eat before I go, even if it is just jamming carrot sticks and celery in my mouth in the car on the way. I do anything I can not to arrive hungry. If I'm hungry, a glass of wine will send me downhill on a toboggan. It's best for me just to have 2 glasses of wine on a full stomach and skip food altogether. Most party food is not that exceptional.
    4) Gifts of food. I do have 3 teenagers, so that is a big help in terms of being able to tell the giver genuinely that the gift was relished without having to devour it myself. I try to pick the one gift that is my favorite thing, and then savor little bits of it as long as I can make it last. If I didn't have kids, I'd take it to work. Some of the gifts are truly special, but if I get started, there is no stopping, so picking my favorite is my best compromise for "moderation."
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I also have a 1/2 century the weekend before Halloween, another the weekend before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving day Turkey Trot 5K (tradition) and a New Years ride following the Christmas and New Years holidays...i live a pretty fitness and health centric lifestyle and that doesn't stop just because of the holidays...i may indulge more than usual food wise, but really that doesn't derail me or anything like that...i've adopted and been maintaining this lifestyle for over three years now, much of which has been in maintenance and without logging...

    i guess it's all in the mindset. for me, these are just occasions and then it's back to business as usual.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,054 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »

    i guess it's all in the mindset. for me, these are just occasions and then it's back to business as usual.

    This is it. The danger is when the occasion never ends and it all runs into one 3-month fiesta.

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