Christmas!

hattieandoscar
hattieandoscar Posts: 62 Member
edited November 23 in Health and Weight Loss
What does everyone do during the christmas period? On boxing day and christmas day do people eat lots and forget about their summer body for those days?? Or should i restrict what i eat and still count calories ??
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Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    hattieandoscar wrote: »
    What does everyone do during the christmas period? On boxing day and christmas day do people eat lots and forget about their summer body for those days?? Or should i restrict what i eat and still count calories ??

    It's up to you. Weight management is 365 days a year. Why not just eat at maintenance on Christmas day?
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    I eat and drink what ever I like Christmas week, then Jan 1st get back to eating at just under maintenance.

    That covers work Christmas party, Christmas day, and 2x family get togethers.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    hattieandoscar wrote: »
    What does everyone do during the christmas period? On boxing day and christmas day do people eat lots and forget about their summer body for those days?? Or should i restrict what i eat and still count calories ??

    My thoughts have always been that a handful of holidays and special occasions are just that...they're occasions...they aren't really material to the bigger picture of what I'm doing and have been doing for years.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I give myself Christmas day, usually one other day and maybe new year's of no logging. Over the rest of Christmas week, maybe a bit more, I eat at maintenance and use it as a planned diet break. January 1st back to deficit. Though I'm hoping this is the last year I have to think about deficits!
  • brittneyalley
    brittneyalley Posts: 274 Member
    We don't really go all out for Christmas (mainly just thanksgiving). Either way, both days I still log everything and stay under maintenance. I typically eat 1200/day but on thanksgiving I ate ~1450 I believe. I'll probably do the same for Christmas.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I build my summer body in the winter.. so I eat all the things ;) . I suppose if I was trying to lose I would still eat all the things but maybe calorie bank, eat light during the day etc to save for those days where I eat extra. Even if I ate at maintenance for two weeks I would get back to it after, no problem.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    On Christmas and Christmas Eve dinner I normally eat whatever I want. Boxing Day isn't really a big eating day in the US (or if so I've missed out).

    I think weight gain during the holidays is all the days between Thanksgiving (in the US) and New Years, not the holidays themselves.
  • Blythmag
    Blythmag Posts: 252 Member
    I refuse to be so tough on myself at xmas.

    Xmas day and one or two other days i eat like a king, then back on it Jan 2nd till i reach my 12 stone target next year, i had my first party Saturday and im learning to save up calories and then recover a few if i have to have a bad day, however im gonna bloody enjoy myself at xmas time.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Diet break the week leading into Christmas through the 26th. Back to work on the 27th. I’ll also likely go over on the 5th (my mom’s birthday) and NYE (we make nachos to celebrate).
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    Half the people in my family were born in December so multiple birthday dinners plus holiday lunches. I generally manage to stay within my weekly calories when it's just one meal. I don't log for Christmas day but I found on thanksgiving i ate what I wanted and still ended up with maintenance calories for the week (according to the scale) so I expect Christmas will turn out the same way. Hopefully :)
  • sunfastrose
    sunfastrose Posts: 543 Member
    edited December 2017
    hattieandoscar wrote: »
    What does everyone do during the christmas period? On boxing day and christmas day do people eat lots and forget about their summer body for those days?? Or should i restrict what i eat and still count calories ??

    I go somewhere in between. I eat what I want, but listen to my hunger cues so don't eat to excess that badly or eat food just because it is there. I experience a temporary increase in scale weight and it disappears within a few weeks.

    Oh - and I am one who was born in December - New Year's Eve baby =)
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    I can't figure out if I'm done losing or not, but for the last several years I switch to maintenance calories from Dec 15 to Jan 15. And I don't worry about calories on Christmas and New Years, but I do log after the fact, what I can remember, out of curiosity sake. Two days aren't going to ruin your summer body, it's the 350 or so regular days that will make or break you :drinker:
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    sunfastrose wrote: »
    hattieandoscar wrote: »
    What does everyone do during the christmas period? On boxing day and christmas day do people eat lots and forget about their summer body for those days?? Or should i restrict what i eat and still count calories ??

    I go somewhere in between. I eat what I want, but listen to my hunger cues so don't eat to excess that badly or eat food just because it is there. I experience a temporary increase in scale weight and it disappears within a few weeks.

    Oh - and I am one who was born in December - New Year's Eve baby =)

    12/7 here. ;-)
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    I am going to log, but guess portions instead of weighing at dinner. I made a request that any candy be small individually wrapped (from Santa or my wife and kids). I am not planning to deny myself anything, but I will not let myself exhibit any binge behavior (some ED history).
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Oh yeah, birthday mid-January. I'll have it then too but not too much of an issue because people suddenly disappear around my birthday. Partied and monied out by the time 19th January hits!
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    I intend to log and treat all the holidays like any other day (I don't like or really enjoy them to begin with) and did fairly well with this approach for Thanksgiving, largely aided by the 10K I ran that morning. However, Christmas will be more difficult as my wife and I will be traveling to spend 12/23-27 with my extended family and then have other holiday nonsense with her family before we leave and/or when we get back. With the exception of not being at work I don't really look forward to holidays to begin with, but this year I'm really dreading Christmas independent of the fitness/nutrition ramifications.

    My wife isn't going to be happy when I pack our bathroom scale, food scale, and protein powder.
  • msmarievt
    msmarievt Posts: 2 Member
    I normally eat like a pig so I'm super uncomfortable. Then I remember how horrible the feeling is which drives me to not eat so much the following day.
    I figure one day will not kill me, so long as I don't turn that day into a habit.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    At my house Christmas isn't that big of a deal. We have fairly normal meals. Our plan is chili on Christmas Eve and grilling burgers on Christmas Day. It isn't so food centered like Thanksgiving.
    We don't do alcohol or egg nog much here.
    There will be a dessert (maybe cake) and probably some candy.
    We are not traveling, having guests or going to tons of events.

    One or two high calorie days aren't going to do that much.
  • Adamanda5
    Adamanda5 Posts: 38 Member
    I'm going to try not to eat a sugary breakfast in an effort to avoid sugar spikes/crashes and cravings that last all day, but I'll indulge in anything that is worth it, I'll eat lots of veggies for satiety, and I'll drink plenty of water. I would like to get in a good walk each day, as well.
  • spiffychick85
    spiffychick85 Posts: 311 Member
    Starting on December 20th at 10:30am I'm officially on Christmas break which starts off with my school's Christmas party....it's catered with an open bar...that is the official start of my merriment and I don't return to normal living until January 3rd when I return to work...basically I eat all the foods and don't stress it :D
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    edited December 2017
    Christmas day isn't a big eating day in my house. It's my wife's family tradition to have a big breakfast that day, so I'll fix biscuits and bacon to go with her eggs. My young daughter has to work at her job in the afternoon.

    It was my family tradition to have a huge dinner with marvelous desserts of banana pudding, coconut cake and pecan pie. I don't know how to make mom's banana pudding, my wife despises coconut, and me and pecan pie can't be seen together in this town.

    I am kinda sorta planning to revisit the Dr Pepper Pulled Pork recipe soon and see if I can raise the level of expectations around here.
  • SheilaCali
    SheilaCali Posts: 737 Member
    When we lived near family, it was a bingefest from Tday through NYE. Now that we live away, it's a little easier. We still eat crazy decadent foods, but not until we burst. This is the first year I haven't gained (so far). What a coincidence- this the first year I've been on MFP! I'm logging the best I can. The biggest difference is that now I'm choosing the most satisfying foods, not just grabbing whatever's there. Choices abound, but I'm making them wiser.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    sunfastrose wrote: »
    hattieandoscar wrote: »
    What does everyone do during the christmas period? On boxing day and christmas day do people eat lots and forget about their summer body for those days?? Or should i restrict what i eat and still count calories ??

    I go somewhere in between. I eat what I want, but listen to my hunger cues so don't eat to excess that badly or eat food just because it is there. I experience a temporary increase in scale weight and it disappears within a few weeks.

    Oh - and I am one who was born in December - New Year's Eve baby =)

    12/7 here. ;-)

    12/3 :o
  • PKM0515
    PKM0515 Posts: 3,089 Member
    Another 12/7 here. Happy Birthday, December babies!
  • KarenSmith2018
    KarenSmith2018 Posts: 302 Member
    12/24 birthday here.

    For me I will watch what I eat. Eat the foods I love but in sensible portion sizes. Remind myself that this isn't the one and only time I will get to eat this amazing food and be satisfied with what I eat. I will limit alcohol because the calories add up scary high. When out for a meal I do the old take half home trick most of the time where possible. I have advanced planned what I will eat for most meals as well so know where to eat lighter during the day.

    It just takes a little thought and consideration and a lot of the weight gain can be mitigated. Also don't just eat for the sake of eating. The chocolates will still be there tomorrow. Also if you are in charge of buying the food and treats do not go overboard. People will probably thank you for it if you don't as they wont feel obliged to eat it all.

    If the weather is good we are also going for a long walk Christmas day with our dog. Get some fresh air, space away from food and drink and earn our christmas dinner.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited December 2017
    This is my 4th Christmas at maintenance and each year is no different - I basically eat what I want for those two days and then its back to usual eating. I haven't logged my food in over a year apart from the odd day here and there to see what my average calories look like. For me eating what I want will mean I will go over my TDEE probably by around 500 calories, I can't eat large quantities of food any more without feeling really uncomfortable - I'm really good at knowing when enough is enough - I guess over time that becomes natural.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    I am slower than Christmas - 12/26. One of my kids is 12/24.
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