Living the Lifestyle (LTL) Monday, April 24th

RedSassyPants

Everyone says it, but just how do you do it? How do you take the guidelines of the WW program and turn them into a lifestyle you can live every day...from now on? That is what we are here to explore. Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion. Newbie? Join in! Veteran? Join in! Your thoughts may be just what someone else needs to hear.

Monday -- RedSassyPants
Tuesday -- 88olds
Wednesday -- goldenfrisbee
Thursday -- imastar2
Friday -- Al_Howard

Today's topic: Handling Celebrations/Holidays

My birthday is coming up. Soon. We are going out to eat. Although I want to be in CELEBRATION mode I also want to have a plan, so I have already checked out the menu etc.

When it comes to Holidays and Celebration how do you handle it?
Do you plan for it? Do you have a strategy? Or do you just enjoy the celebration

RedSassyPants

When I started the plan I am currently following, my boss told gave me several tips about how to address celebration dinners. He told me NOT to starve myself before hand. He actually told me to eat ahead of time. I am less likely to go off the deep end that way.
I SORT of follow that mind set.
I don't starve myself, but I do modify my other meals.
I DO have a snack before I go so I am not starving.
I always reach for the veggies first
then the protein etc
So far it is working

gadgetgirlIL

Wise tips from your boss about not going into these sorts of events starving.

I'm not big on celebrations, but that is more because of being an introvert. In addition, my food intolerances make it necessary to do a lot of planning.

I do have a required university event on Wednesday night. Dinner will be served around the time I'm usually heading to bed. I'll need to be more vigilant about spreading out my food intake as well as allowing some room in my budget for dinner. I don't expect the food to be all that memorable. Because of my food intolerances, I'll be served a chicken breast, probably some rice, and some random vegetables. My dessert will be a fruit cup full of melon. I hate melon. Now if they would give me a cup of fresh raspberries, I'd be much more excited. But we have had severe budget cuts this year.

Rachel0778

A melon cup is by far the saddest fruit dessert ever.

I always enjoy a meal out for my birthday (and an extra large serving of cake). It's my day so I get to enjoy it.

However, other holidays/events are more negotiable. I often play the game of, what can't I have any day of the week? For example, on Thanksgiving: boxed stuffing-pass. Homemade squash pie from my mother in law-indulge.

Work events I stick to healthy choices. I also work for a university so the food is never something to write home about. Same with conferences, hotel food is meh. Might as well eat healthy since the unhealthy option doesn't bring me that much pleasure.

gadgetgirlIL

I just found out that our end of academic year college luncheon will be potluck! While some are grumbling about this (budget reasons again), I'm actually excited as my contribution will be some delicious homemade GF desserts. I will indulge on my desserts as I know they will be top notch.

2016's college luncheon was an overcooked chicken breast. I think it was the leftovers from the prior day's college wide employee appreciation luncheon. Talk about 2 back to back unmemorable meals. This year there won't be a lunch served for the employee appreciation event. They've moved it to the afternoon.

88olds

I make the best choices I can. If it's a birthday, I'm having a piece of cake. Unless I'm cutting it myself, I never fuss over the size of the piece I get. I make a point not to eat it all.

Jimb376mfp

I have a group of ten friends who meet at the local dog park Fido Field. We celebrate BDs by letting the person pick restaurant and either breakfast or lunch.
We give fun gag gifts, sing happy BD and laugh a lot.

I plan ahead and order a sensible meal. If I have a large number of SP food I adjust my other two meals of the day.

I have learned that being with friends is more fun than overeating.

Out_of_Bubblegum

For me... one meal does not make a lifestyle.

When facing those (planned) special days/meals, I try to balance the week out, either through small reductions on either side of the big day, and adding in a bit more exercise... but if a holiday/celebratory meal goes a bit over, then I log it and move on.

I did not become overweight by because of 5 days/year that my family marks special occasions with meals ... I became overweight by overeating the other 360 days.

ETA: I do try to scope menus and plan out my meal ahead of time.. and that makes a big difference - if I know what I want before I get there, I'm less likely to walk out feeling like I'm about to pop because I was hungry when I decided on what to eat.

When I'm hungry, I make bad food choices.

goldenfrisbee

I eat whatever I want but in moderation. That way I don't leave feeling deprived and then go on a bender.

minimyzeme

It may be semantics, but I'll repeat something my ML reminds us of: proactively deciding to celebrate IS a way of staying OP. So there's that. The other thing she's helped me accept is to just track it, no matter what. Both of these things keep me mindful and I find that makes a huge difference in how much I enjoy the occasion and how I feel afterward.

I guess that's my plan for celebrations. Fortunately, I don't have a whole lot of them to deal with. It's relatively rare for me to go 'whole-hog' anymore. I really cannot eat and drink as much as I used to and be comfortable. That helps guide me. Also, I find I'd much rather eat really good food that a whole lotta crap. It's just not worth it to me anymore.

ETA: Happy Birthday @RedSassyPants ! Will be curious to hear how you handle the celebration if you care to share here.

GavinFlynn1

Brutal honesty? I have not been planning well for celebrations.

That being said, when I was doing my best on weight watchers, losing weight but also really enjoying the lifestyle, making plans for celebration was a big part of it. Like others have said, I let myself indulge on special food for the day. However, I usually limited myself to one "big" meal, and ate my normal healthy meal for breakfast and lunch.

When I was going to a celebration other than my birthday, eating something healthy had of time really help me stay on track.

imastar2

The holidays for me are pretty much eat till I get full and most of the time that includes 2nd helpings. Sometimes I do better than others but I figure Thanksgiving , Christmas are the two biggies and so I mostly just pig out and deal with the results the next day. Sometimes I recover the same week and don't gain any but then some years it takes me a week or so to get back to my weight prior to the holiday.

I figure it's less than a handful of holidays out of 365 days. I believe if I'm working the program the rest of the year I should be ok. That being said there are some mental hoops I have to jump through sometimes as a carryover but have been doing pretty good in that department most of the time. Like no binges on a continuing basis like before WW.

The other Holidays like Memorial Day, July 4th, :Labor day are BBQ days and sometimes DW and I will smoke some ribs or maybe just some Chicken Breast Boneless Skinless and really don't over do it that much. Do have to watch it though. Approaching 70 I don't get too much into B'days.

podkey

Depends. Not really many eating holidays except thanksgiving most years . I don't overdo for my B_day.
I do enjoy a special catered dinner once a year in SoCal by one of top catering companies around. Well worth it.

linmueller

I do eat before most celebrations, since most aren't about great food. For example, I attend a bfast potluck every other week, and while the food is good, it's nothing I can't get at home. So I eat a 4 or 5 sp bfast, at home, choose fruit, veggies and a small bit of an interesting something, and often go home a few hours later and eat lunch.

For holidays I eat special foods that are amazing. Small piece and eat slowly.

minimyzeme wrote: »

.
It's relatively rare for me to go 'whole-hog' anymore. I really cannot eat and drink as much as I used to and be comfortable. That helps guide me. Also, I find I'd much rather eat really good food that a whole lotta crap. It's just not worth it to me anymore.

This ... BUT for me it's more about realizing how miserable it makes me feel to overeat. I've realized that I felt bloated and uncomfortable most of the time. And I really don't want to feel like that anymore.

I've also decided that much of what I gobbled down at events wasn't that great. I don't enjoy grease laden foods or overly sweet desserts. I just never took the time to notice before WW.

So for me celebrating is best done outside on a sunny MI day, with family, maybe with a good glass of red wine. And that's how we celebrated my bday last week.

leeless511

I plan. If the circumstances don't allow for planning or controlling elements of the events, I do the best I can by making the best choice under the circumstances. My go to strategy for these types of events, where nothing I prefer is offered is eat half of something I like or eat only what I like even if it looks like an awkward meal.

minimyzeme

linmueller wrote: »

So for me celebrating is best done outside on a sunny MI day, with family, maybe with a good glass of red wine. And that's how we celebrated my bday last week.

Sounds perfect @linmueller ; hope you had a great one!