Thanksgiving tips
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ConfidentRaven
Posts: 1,428 Member
Thanksgiving and other Special Days
I decided that I would take a moment and compile a few ideas from both here and other groups I’m a part of for dealing with Thanksgiving and other special days. One thing that I try to keep in mind is that learning how to handle these days is part of the fitness journey.
Eat at Maintenance Calories
One thing that I have noticed is that many people have an all or nothing attitude about their way of eating. It’s either they’re on track and eating at a deficit or they are overeating. However, eating at maintenance, or even a little under can be useful in keeping from a binge. Plan out what you can have within your maintenance calorie level and eat at your normal deficit the other days of the week. You might still have a gain, but it should be less than if you have an all out binge.
Bank Calories
Some people I know bank calories. To do this they eat under their usual deficit for a few days to up to a week before and sometimes even after the special event. They then don’t worry about calories or they will eat at maintenance on the special day. The idea is that weight loss is based off a weekly deficit and the day to day doesn’t matter as much. The one issue with this is that you can wipe out an entire week’s deficit by one day of binge so be careful.
Drink Water
Another suggestion I saw was to drink water before and if possible during an event. The theory is that you are less hungry and therefore will eat less.
Eat First
If you have a party/event where you can’t plan out your food have a snack/salad/soup a short time before your party/event. The theory is that you won’t want to eat as much and won’t binge.
Nibble
Have a little of everything you want, but only a little. The theory is that you won’t eat enough to go over your calories. I would imagine that goes well with the next suggestion.
One Meal
The day of your event only eat at the event and at no other point that day. The theory is that there is no way you’ll eat more than your maintenance calories.
Eat Less Early in the Day
Don’t want to eat only one meal? Then eat light the rest of the day giving you more calories for your special event.
Exercise More
Get in more exercise or activity on the day of your event because you’ll be able to eat more calories. With this one keep in mind that calorie trackers for exercise are notoriously high so be careful when using this method.
Think Gross Thoughts
I really didn’t know the label to put on this tip, but someone suggested that you imagine that someone has spit on all the food. It’s supposed to make you less likely to eat the foods you want to avoid.
I think I got all of them, if you have a tip let me know and I’ll add it to the list for the next holiday!
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I want to comment on gross thoughts. Why not? It has worked for me. I just called them negative thoughts but its the same.
It started with a post on a Weight Watchers message board. Early on I went into work and there were donuts. I went and logged onto the message board and posted something like “Help! Donuts!”
First reply- someone sneezed on the donuts. Second reply- that guy in line ahead of you left the men’s room without washing his hands.
I started watching the behavior of my coworkers around food that was out. I became the office germaphobe. It was in fact gross. It got me away from all the office food. It got me out of buffets. It was a big help.
I tried to expand. Somewhere, CNBC business news I think, had a little tape of Krispy Kemen donuts being made. Bubbling away in the grease. I found that to be gross and unappealing. I can’t recall my last donut. My donut mantra- A donut is just a fried wad of goo.
If I went into a fast food place I’d make a point of looking at the deep fryer. Then I’d order my grilled chicken sandwich.
I tried to expand the power of negativity into other areas. I thought long and hard trying to think of something negative about cookies but I just ended up thinking of my grandmother.
Although in theory I can eat anything I can fit into my plan, its helpful to see certain foods as less appealing.5 -
Those are good! I have two
1) Is it special enough? - is this a special food or can I get it anytime I want? If it's Grandma's famous chocolate cake that she only makes at christmas then I have a piece and don't worry. If it's chocolate cake from Kroger....maybe I'll pass, I can get that any time I want.
2) Is it worth it? Is this food worth the price of the calories? One restaurant I go to has this amazing ice cream brownie desert. It's worth the calories. My coworkers and I went to a different restaurant that also had an ice cream brownie desert. It paled in comparison to the first restaurant. I took one bite, realized it wasn't worth it and let my coworkers finish it off.3 -
@88olds I'll add those examples for the next time I post, which I'm betting will be next month. I like changing it to think negative thoughts about the food. I haven't tried it yet, but next time I'm tempted I just might.
@papayahed I love those! Do you mind if I add them for next time? The first one, is it special enough, has worked for me. I started having a half serving of Nutella daily in my yogurt and it's been enough to keep me from chocolate binges because I always have it.1 -
Good tips. I definitely agree with exercise, making it a meal rather than a day, and asking whether it is worth it. I have three big meals next week to contend with for the holidays-we celebrate a lot in my family. I have my game plan and know already which meals I plan to indulge, which ones that I am going to go with the healthier options, and which ones I am bringing my own food. Planning above all else to me is key to controlling the situation.3
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ConfidentRaven wrote: »
@papayahed I love those! Do you mind if I add them for next time? The first one, is it special enough, has worked for me. I started having a half serving of Nutella daily in my yogurt and it's been enough to keep me from chocolate binges because I always have it.
Of course you can! They aren't actually mine anyways, a nutritionist gave me those tips.
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I found these holiday tips in old posts and thought they might help someone on Thanksgiving!0
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Thanks for resurrecting this thread Connie!
I am the one cooking and my one tip is not to taste a spoonful of everything while you are cooking it. I’m thinking specifically about mashed potatoes for me. There is no need to taste them I can look right at them and tell if I added enough butter and milk.1 -
_inHisGrace wrote: »Thanks for resurrecting this thread Connie!
I am the one cooking and my one tip is not to taste a spoonful of everything while you are cooking it. I’m thinking specifically about mashed potatoes for me. There is no need to taste them I can look right at them and tell if I added enough butter and milk.
I buy Bob Evans mashed potatoes!...they are always good and one thing I don’t have to worry with!...0 -
conniewilkins56 wrote: »_inHisGrace wrote: »Thanks for resurrecting this thread Connie!
I am the one cooking and my one tip is not to taste a spoonful of everything while you are cooking it. I’m thinking specifically about mashed potatoes for me. There is no need to taste them I can look right at them and tell if I added enough butter and milk.
I buy Bob Evans mashed potatoes!...they are always good and one thing I don’t have to worry with!...
I LOVE Bob Evans mashed potatoes! We have them once a week. Super easy and not too bad caloriewise.1 -
ConfidentRaven wrote: »Thanksgiving and other Special Days
I decided that I would take a moment and compile a few ideas from both here and other groups I’m a part of for dealing with Thanksgiving and other special days. One thing that I try to keep in mind is that learning how to handle these days is part of the fitness journey.
Eat at Maintenance Calories
One thing that I have noticed is that many people have an all or nothing attitude about their way of eating. It’s either they’re on track and eating at a deficit or they are overeating. However, eating at maintenance, or even a little under can be useful in keeping from a binge. Plan out what you can have within your maintenance calorie level and eat at your normal deficit the other days of the week. You might still have a gain, but it should be less than if you have an all out binge.
Bank Calories
Some people I know bank calories. To do this they eat under their usual deficit for a few days to up to a week before and sometimes even after the special event. They then don’t worry about calories or they will eat at maintenance on the special day. The idea is that weight loss is based off a weekly deficit and the day to day doesn’t matter as much. The one issue with this is that you can wipe out an entire week’s deficit by one day of binge so be careful.
Drink Water
Another suggestion I saw was to drink water before and if possible during an event. The theory is that you are less hungry and therefore will eat less.
Eat First
If you have a party/event where you can’t plan out your food have a snack/salad/soup a short time before your party/event. The theory is that you won’t want to eat as much and won’t binge.
Nibble
Have a little of everything you want, but only a little. The theory is that you won’t eat enough to go over your calories. I would imagine that goes well with the next suggestion.
One Meal
The day of your event only eat at the event and at no other point that day. The theory is that there is no way you’ll eat more than your maintenance calories.
Eat Less Early in the Day
Don’t want to eat only one meal? Then eat light the rest of the day giving you more calories for your special event.
Exercise More
Get in more exercise or activity on the day of your event because you’ll be able to eat more calories. With this one keep in mind that calorie trackers for exercise are notoriously high so be careful when using this method.
Think Gross Thoughts
I really didn’t know the label to put on this tip, but someone suggested that you imagine that someone has spit on all the food. It’s supposed to make you less likely to eat the foods you want to avoid.
I think I got all of them, if you have a tip let me know and I’ll add it to the list for the next holiday!
With the holidays quickly approaching, I thought these tips might help some of us!
There are so many good older posts!0 -
I agree about the wealth of wisdom in the older threads @conniewilkins56 - I mine them frequently for tips and information!
We don't have Thanksgiving here in the UK, but I'm already planning ahead for Christmas, because countless times I've gone off the rails at Christmas and then been unable to get back on track come January. So this year I have a plan....
We're hosting Christmas for my husband's family (MIL, MIL's 'gentleman friend', BIL, SIL, two nephews). They're arriving just after breakfast on Christmas Eve and leaving after lunch on 30th December. All with different food and drink requirements, so our house is already resembling the food hall at Harrods, with 8 weeks still to go until they arrive.
Deficit Break
I'm taking a deficit break from 24th - 31st December. Which is 8 days instead of the recommended 10, but I'm hoping that will be enough to give my body a sufficient breather so that it's ready to cope with running at deficit for the first 10 weeks of 2022, until my next deficit break in mid-March.
Daily calorie budget
I've applied a traffic light system to the 8 days:
Red Days - Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Calories around 4000/day
Amber Days - Christmas Eve, 27th, 28th, 29th. Calories around 2500/day
Green Days - 30th, 31st. Maintenance calories of around 1800/day.
Anticipated weight gain
Given the varying amounts of exercise I'll do each day, it means that across the 8 days, I'll actually exceed my TDEE by about 7000 calories (which is about 2lbs of actual weight gain).To counteract some of that, I'm planning to run a more aggressive deficit of 1000 cals/day for the 6 days running up to Christmas Eve. Which means that over the whole 2 week period from 18th - 31st December, my net calories will amount to around a 1000 calorie surplus - which equates to less than half a pound of true weight gain.
Food planning
I worked out what my calories might be on Christmas Day if I ate and drank moderately, but still partook of some of the treats. I thought it might reach 4000 calories, but it actually came to 6.259 calories! It's frighening how quickly the calories add up. So then I worked out a revised day's eating, and it came in at around 3.600 calories.
So that led me down the path of traffic-lighting all the foods/drinks that will be available too.
Red foods/drinks will be completely off-limits for me. I won't even have a sip, bite or nibble.
Amber foods/drinks are allowable, but in strictly controlled and measured portions.
Green foods/drinks I can eat freely.
Leftovers
And then I started planning what to do with the mountains of inevitable leftovers (especially the confectionary, savoury snacks and cakes/puddings). They'll all be packed up and dispatched off with the in-laws, leaving us with a temptation-free house come 31st December.
At least that's the plan.
But you know the old saying: Man plans. God laughs.4 -
^^ Wow that is some planning! Note to self - that is why Bella is doing so well 🤔🥰2
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This is the list of foods that are on my red list, that I won't have even a nibble, bite or sip. Luckily I'm not keen on any of them...
Christmas cake
Christmas pudding
Brandy butter
Mince pies
Yule log
Stollen
Gingerbread
Kettles crisps
Pringles
Tortilla chips
Cheesy footballs
Cheese straws
Sausage rolls
Peanut M&Ms
Cadbury's Roses
Truffles
Turkish delight
Rose and violet creams
Chocolate covered brazils
Chocolate covered peanuts and raisins
Shortbread
Florentines
Baileys
Port
Mulled wine
Do people even want all this for Christmas? My husband insists his family will be disappointed if we don't have them all in abundance. I suspect hardly any will get eaten and the inlaws' cars will be stuffed to the gills on their journey home. Sounds a bit bah-humbug but I think it's a colossal waste of money. And this is just the eating-between-meals stuff...
I am soooooo glad I don't have a sweet tooth.2 -
I need to start thinking and planning - obviously too much of a “just let it roll” type personality here🤔2
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My goodness! That’s quite the celebration. Our extended families live over 1000 away and we see them in summer. So our holidays are quiet and simple. Sometimes I miss the activity but after seeing your list maybe not so much.2
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We have gone from huge Thanksgiving feasts with lots of people, other times going out to a restaurant, to smaller dinners!…we have had Turkey with all the trimmings to bbq ribs, to a picnic, to a birthday party!…our daughter was born the day before Thanksgiving in 1982… this year our son and his wife will be in Trinidad on a cruise over the holiday….most of our friends and families live far away….it will only be the 6 of us that live here and half of them do not like baked turkey lol…I am sure we won’t go hungry!….
after a huge holiday eating marathon last year, I let the family know this year the holidays are going to be much less food….I was so full last year after the first of the year I thought I would explode….I will still cook and bake and have treats but not massive amounts….I take each of the grands separately for a full day of shopping and let them pick out whatever they having on their lists ( within limits lol )…we really have fun and we have lunch wherever they want to go….and then I have other surprises I get when I shop alone!…Aliyah and I bake cookies two or three entire days, frosting, baking and decorating…she is also great at wrapping gifts….her birthday is the day after Christmas….so the celebrations continue!…
I love the holidays!
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My goodness! That’s quite the celebration. Our extended families live over 1000 away and we see them in summer. So our holidays are quiet and simple. Sometimes I miss the activity but after seeing your list maybe not so much.
Last year my husband and I rented a remote cottage and hid away for the whole Christmas/New Year period. Our Christmas Day lunch was a individual Pieminster beef and stilton pie, mash, peas and gravy, followed by a small shop-bought chocolate mousse. Best Christmas lunch ever. Negligible washing up, no leftovers, no gluttony.
I hate the whole Christmas over-indulgence thing. My childhood Christmases were modest affairs, but my husband's family always go the whole hog. This year there's extra pressure to put on a good feast because his mom has leukaemia and she thinks it may be her last Christmas; she wants her whole family together, eating drinking and making merry. It would be churlish to be niggardly....4 -
Bella_Figura wrote: »PAV8888 says: Luckily I'm not keen on any of them...
WT*kittens* you smoking Bella: obviously this COULD NOT won't work for me!
Christmas pudding
Mince pies
Yule log
Truffles
Shortbread
Florentines
Baileys
Port
Mulled wine
Do people even want all this for Christmas?
*kittens* yes!
My husband insists his family will be disappointed if we don't have them all in abundance.
OK some abundance control may not be a TERRIBLE idea under normal circumstances for a PAV... but where did you say I should park the plane on my way over for dinner?!?!?!
I suspect hardly any will get eaten and the inlaws' cars will be stuffed to the gills on their journey home.
SMART move the "unloading"!
I am soooooo glad I don't have a sweet tooth.
Sorry, WHAT? Who doesn't have WHAT?!!!?? yeah:
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me too ... ill be there with bells on!!!
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