Christmas 2020
conniewilkins56
Posts: 3,391 Member
4 weeks until Christmas!..
Do you celebrate the Holidays?....what are your plans?...how are you coping with the 2020 holidays?...are you traveling?...This is the place for strategies, game plans, inspiration and motivation to help each other not gain a ton of weight while celebrating!
I love this caring and sharing group of “ Losers”!!!
Do you celebrate the Holidays?....what are your plans?...how are you coping with the 2020 holidays?...are you traveling?...This is the place for strategies, game plans, inspiration and motivation to help each other not gain a ton of weight while celebrating!
I love this caring and sharing group of “ Losers”!!!
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Replies
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We'll be celebrating small for sure - not sure how it will look yet. With Covid, it's so hard to plan ahead these days. I have Christmas shopping done for my daughter and my bonus daughter, we have a family photo session planned, and a virtual visit with Santa happening on Sunday as well as - beyond that everything is "gravy".
Expectations low. Rewards high.
As far as diet plans, I plan to keep on keeping on tracking daily, sticking to my daily goals. If we end up doing a larger food meal with family I will plan for an awesome meal - track in and keep trucking. It's one meal. My body and weight loss goals can take a back seat (but still be in the car) for one meal.
My downfall is I am already craving those popcorn tins with the three types of popcorn.... and marshmallow goo. I know those are strange Christmas cravings, but that's what gets me beyond the actual DAY of Christmas...2 -
The advantage of being an immigrant is that there is not that much family close-by, so we will have our "normal" Christmas and still be below the max person limit! That being said, we like to put "our" carols on, and buy/make some food "like home". So, we will overindulge and it will be impossible to track. My plan is to only indulge 2 days, keep active during those days, and eat just one meal a day. Also, my mother will be visiting us, so that will be nice!
Other than that, we put the Christmas tree up today! It's the first time we do one in years, but this year was extra-hard on our family, and I felt we needed a nice, tall, beautiful tree.3 -
Since I only have the 25th off work (assuming I haven't quit or been laid off before then), I will probably just visit my parents for the day and keep things very low key. It should be fairly easy to avoid going overboard on the Christmas treats.
We took Christmas photos yesterday with the three of us humans, plus some of me and my dogs in their Christmas sweaters.
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I always make the same thing on Christmas Eve. Lasagna, sausages, meatballs, salad, garlic bread. Desserts vary. Not sure what everyone wants yet.
My plan is to have some of everything except the garlic bread and not make enough for leftovers.
I’ve got a few holiday low cal desserts I’m planning to try this year.
I’m not making fudge or any cookie unless it’s low cal. I give myself room for a 200 calorie dessert everyday. If it fits I’ll make it. If not I’m not making it.
On Christmas I make cinnamon rolls. Not sue if I’ll have one or not this year.4 -
That's such a lovely photo of you and the dogs!
And cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning sound reaaallllyy nice! I might give it a try this year, we are all cinnamon fans.3 -
The week before we booked an impromptu trip to Orlando to do Harry Potter at Universal. We will be back on the 20th. Going to work for 4 days and then Christmas will be the same as it always is. We go to my parents house and do Christmas Day with them. My mom always makes spaghetti and meatballs so that’s what we will be having. The day after Christmas we always travel to Wisconsin for our annual hell vacation (I call it that because it is snow skiing and I hate the cold!). That lasts until after the New Years. So that’s the whole holiday season. I usually try to eat at or a little below. I don’t overly track my calories during this time and I won’t this year either. I will however continue to do my exercise class as often as I am here for it.2
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We are going to treat Christmas in the same way we did Thanksgiving - no company and no traveling. Thank god the vaccine will be arriving soon for high risk folks such as my wife and me.4
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unfortunately, my mom is in charge of Christmas dinner. So there will be stuffing, cranberry salad, broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole. She says she's cutting down on desserts - making a smaller fruit salad so there won't be a large bowl of left overs, and she is making an angel food cake but I've talked her into using swerve to cut the calories and sugar down and unsweetened coconut. I make cookies but give them all away.
The only thing that I can't do much with is the plum steamed pudding cake which is like a fruit cake but I use regular dried fruit and not the icky candied stuff. but it gets cut into teeny pieces because it is very rich.
Otherwise, I'm not going to worry about it at all. Just enjoy the meal and then work on getting back on track in January.2 -
I celebrate both the Winter Solstice and the American secular Christmas. Pagans like parties, and this way I can have a relatively solemn ceremony to honor the longest night and the sun's rise without having to try to combine it with seeing my family of origin and his family of origin and having a nice dinner and opening presents. It works well to space all of it over a week. Plus my birthday is the 17th.3
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Agh!!! MIL sent delicious cookies by post!! Luckily, DH is also trying to manage eating and so we froze a significant amount, but some have already been eaten! I was NOT counting on this distraction.2
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AlexandraFindsHerself1971 wrote: »I celebrate both the Winter Solstice and the American secular Christmas. Pagans like parties, and this way I can have a relatively solemn ceremony to honor the longest night and the sun's rise without having to try to combine it with seeing my family of origin and his family of origin and having a nice dinner and opening presents. It works well to space all of it over a week. Plus my birthday is the 17th.
Sounds like a great week! I've just recently been learning more about Pagan holidays (particularly how my ancestors would have celebrated them), and am looking forward to doing something to observe the Solstice this year. I'll be home in MN, so hopefully will be able to be up north in the woods for it.Agh!!! MIL sent delicious cookies by post!! Luckily, DH is also trying to manage eating and so we froze a significant amount, but some have already been eaten! I was NOT counting on this distraction.
I'm baking (and immediately sending!) cookies this weekend I think. I'll have to get them out of the house ASAP lol.1 -
We like to celebrate the solstice by going up to the Red Rocks amphitheater and drumming up the sunrise...about 5,000 people last year, bringing every imaginable drum with them.5
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I’m working on a list of non- food Christmas events. So far we will be going to/doing:
Walk thru live nativity
Drive thru Christmas light displays
Golf cart Christmas parade
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Oh and we usually go see the nutcracker ballet but no live performances this year. We will watch on tv but not the same2
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I have my presents bought and wrapped except for 3 that need completed by hand before being wrapped. I need to make my plum pudding today or tomorrow so it will be good and tasty by Christmas. Mailing Christmas cookies will be done this early next week so I can get them in the mail by the 18th, then the next week I will make my hand out Christmas cookies.
Hmmm - looking at the calendar, it seems the best time to get with my cousin for Christmas will be the 18th since I'll be heading in her direction on that day anyway. I'll have to contact her and make arrangements for dinner.
Meanwhile, I have to sit down and get my Christmas cards ready tonight and out tomorrow in the mail! And I need to put the finishing touches on the little Christmas ensemble I'm leading at the church which will be on the morning of the 20th. I can't believe we only have 2 more practices left! Thankfully, the singers are getting there and should be ready.
I didn't put lights up outside this year, though I might still wrap my banister leading to my front door tomorrow if the weather is good. But I did take time to line all the windows from the inside. I had enough timers that I could set them all up that way. I got my tree up and taht's just about all the decorating I'm going to do this year; I just don't have the time.
And since the new beau is doing keto and can't have peanuts, I've been playing around with some recipes that might work for him. I got an idea this weekend - he can't have peanuts but he loves nutella, so I bought a jar to try as I had never tasted the stuff. And now I know why its go popular! lol And I'm looking at that jar and thinking that would make a fantastic substitute for peanut butter in peanut butter balls, and if I use swerve powdered sugar and lily's chocolate chips, I can get the carbs down to as low as 6 per bon bon........6 -
Happy Holidays to all of the Larger Loser group....you are all very important to me and many of you have helped me stay on this journey to less weight and good health!....let’s make 2021 the year to meet our goals large and small!7
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Merry Christmas to you all! Hope you have a wonderful day!3
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Today is my last "Christmas Gathering" day. Our city is in lockdown with too many new daily cases to ignore - so we have been doing small gatherings in the backyard, with a fire and soup plus other "one hand" edibles and treats.
I'm looking forward to a stable schedule and my normal food routine. It feels so comfortable now! This chaotic eating was fun in its own way and didn't go too badly - but I'm done. I hope I can find my way back into the deficit groove okay. I know the sugar addiction is alive and well...but I hope it can go back to sleep without too much of a struggle.
2021 - here we come!2 -
Resurrecting this thread given that it's now only 4 weeks until Christmas 2021, and I need all the help I can get!
Interested to hear from peeps in the US, Canada etc....is this level of gluttony unique to the UK, or is breakfast-to-bedime scoffing and quaffing a feature of your Christmas too?3 -
If too long, please don't read.
We are hosting Christmas for my MIL, MIL's 'gentleman friend', BIL&SIL. They arrive Christmas Eve and leave on NYE. So I have to brace myself for a whole week of festive food and drink.
Gulp.
I've tried suggesting that we cut back this year, but I was shot down in flames by my husband and MIL, who insist that tradition must be upheld. Which means the first champagne cork is popped before breakfast on Christmas Day, and the last brandy swirled and sipped by the fire just before bed. And all manner of food and drink consumed between those two markers.
If it was just one day I think I wouldn't be so worried, but there is the expectation that the feast will continue unabated until the moment our guests depart.
This is the rough itinerary/menu:
Christmas Eve- Family arrive late morning. Light healthy lunch of homemade soup and bread (yay!)
- Mid-afternoon - I'll walk the dog for an hour....
- Pre-dinner: Aperitifs and nibbles (e.g. booze accompanied by nuts, crisps, taralli etc.)
- Dinner: 3 courses and wine.
- After dinner: Liquers/Wine/Spirits etc..
- Supper: Mincepie and glass of mulled wine; crackers and cheese if anyone's peckish (!)
- Bedtime: Proper hot chocolate made with whole milk, cream and Belgian chocolate shavings (with a slug of brandy or rum for those that want it)
Christmas Day- I'll walk the dog for an hour before breakfast
- Pre-breakfast: Champagne toast to absent loved ones....
- Breakfast - Croissants with butter and preserves; granola & greek yoghurt; selection of fruit juices
- Post-breakfast present opening: Champagne and nibbles
- Lunch: 3 courses and wine. Choice of at least 4 desserts (one will be fresh fruit salad - yay!)
- Mid-afternoon - I'll walk the dog for an hour....
- Lunch onwards: Constant grazing.....chocolates/nibbles/cake etc. all washed down with copious amounts of booze....
- Dinner: A cold buffet
- After dinner: Liquers/Wine/Spirits and more grazing....
- Supper: Crackers and cheese/Christmas Cake/Mincepie....
- Bedtime: Proper hot chocolate (with a slug of brandy or rum for those that want it)
Boxing Day- I'll walk the dog for an hour before breakfast
- Breakfast - Same as Christmas Day
- Lunch: 2 courses and wine. Courses will be cold cuts/bubble & squeak/cheeses/pickles etc.; choice of at least 3 desserts (of which some will be leftovers from Christmas Day)
- Mid-afternoon - I'll walk the dog for an hour....
- Lunch onwards: Constant grazing.....chocolates/nibbles/cake all washed down with copious amounts of booze....(i.e. repeat of Christmas Day)
- Dinner: Sandwiches or crackers with cheese and cold meats; panettone, stollen, christmas cake and mince pies.
- After dinner: Liquers/Wine/Spirits and more grazing....
- Supper: Crackers and cheese/Christmas Cake/Mincepie....
- Bedtime: Proper hot chocolate (with a slug of brandy or rum for those that want it)
And, basically, this pattern will repeat itself for the next 4 days. The meals will become less lavish, but will always include dessert. The grazing and boozing will continue unabated every day from lunch until bedtime.
My only exercise will be the twice-daily dog walks (which will be at snail's pace if MIL and her two ancient dogs come with me).
Our guests all like different drinks, so we have enough champagne, red & white wine, whisky, bourbon, gin, campari, vodka, rum, Baileys, brandy, cider and lager to refloat the titanic...
Similarly they all have different taste in snacks, nibbles and baked goods (and some have dietary restrictions) so in trying to cater for everyone's tastes and needs we've had to buy tons more than we'd need if everyone liked the same thing....
I plan to send most of the leftovers home with the guests, but I'm apprehensive about staying even remotely on plan when everyone around me will be throwing caution to the wind...
I'm being serious when I say I need all the help I can get - do any of you have any suggestions? I plan to limit my drinking to a glass of wine with lunch and dinner and maybe one aperitif...and I PLAN to choose the healthiest dessert (or try to decline completely!) and to stay away from all the grazing - but will I have the willpower, when (inevitably) everyone's nagging me not to be a party-pooper?
Should I just stop fretting (for a whole month in advance) and just eat and drink whatever the hell I like and deal with the consequences in the new year?
I was brought up in a much less lavish tradition, so I find all this weight of family expectation for a groaning week-long smorgasbord hard to handle....
Help!!!!3 -
Bella,
Wow. What a predicament. There are so many good ideas out there - but I don't know if I would be able to follow any of them, and I know the more I worry the worse my eating becomes.
I personally would probably just relax and pay the piper in the new year. Because I know myself well enough to know that fretting won't help.
But, that being said, I would try to find/set up good options for myself. Special teas? Some bulky delicious dishes that will fill me up, make me feel special, a bit more than usual yet not crazy in the calorie department.0 -
Good advice, thanks Laurie.
The house is groaning under the weight of all the non-perishable food and drink already (and has been for a few weeks) and I can resist opening any of it....but ONCE IT'S OPEN, all bets are off.
And any willpower I have will be severely undermined by alcohol.
Because my husband is severely restricted in the amount of alcohol and food he can indulge in (he's a kidney transplant recipient and has medication-induced gout) I feel that the mantle has passed to me to play the part of the convivial host, and to be seen not only to be constantly topping up my guests' glasses, but my own too...
I DO intend to barefaced lie and say I'm having a G&T when really I'll be having plain slimline tonic water. And I'm always the person who gets everyone's drinks, so I'll be able to get away with that little ruse (and everyone knows a G&T is my drink of choice, so it won't seem fishy). But I can't do the same with the wine...
I could put a little pile of chocolate wrappers on the arm of my chair, so people think I've eaten them...
I know from past Christmases that people will nag and nag and nag if they suspect I'm shirking my fair share of noshing....
This is a family of slimsters....not an ounce of excess weight between them, but they do love a multi-day Bacchanalian feast...3 -
We used to host an Open House during the holidays for almost 100 guests with so much food and alcohol…we also had various family members stay the entire week….I cooked and waited on people the entire time…..now, hmmmmm I think I would either say I was sick or say no, I can’t do it….you are a very brave woman!….all you can do is handle it as best you can…..2
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I have actually lost friends over the eating out issue. However unlike your in-laws my friends need to lose weight. My weight loss and careful eating was somehow interpreted as silent judgment although I never discuss diet. So I can appreciate your hosting dilemma.
A few maybe workable ideas. You could eat mainly what your husband eats and say you’re keeping him company so he doesn’t feel left out. What mother could object to that? At least some of the time?
Another idea is to physically write down what you plan to eat the next day. Put the list where you can read it several a day. On the dressing table or fridge. Typing into MFP is easier but putting pen to paper registers in the brain better. Little tidbit I learned in my education courses prepping for teaching.
Final option is to just honestly tell the family you need their help in staying on track. You don’t want to put a damper on their celebrations but don’t want to undo all your past hard work. And then just take smaller portions while encouraging the family to enjoy the holiday foods.2 -
Hey Garfield: You've got smart women there giving you smart hamster advice. I have far from smart interpersonal relationship hamsters! In fact mine are so dumb they often need explicit directions on how to open a door or cross the street!
That said I've done both the staying focused and going with the flow at times. And both were right for me AT the time.
The first time around while I was still in the middle of figuring out how to lose weight in a semi-rational manner I flat out told my family that I didn't give a flying *kitten* about their *kitten* Christmas traditions, and they could "stuff' their festive food into next year's pile! Too bad, so sad, MY GOALS come first and you're either with me or against me!
And it's not as if I used kinder words at the time--though I most certainly COULD have! As @yoolypr mentioned un-relatedly: you are not responsible for everyone else's happiness... not if it comes at the expense of your own!
In 2014 I only relented for a maintenance day Christmas dinner and an all you can eat gala New Year's Eve affair. The 3lb hit the next day... doesn't exist 7 years later! And I certainly continued to lose during that Christmas trip eating smaller amounts of whatever everyone was having and making smarter choices when eating out (ordering meals the way I wanted them prepared for example as opposed to the way they would normally be served):
The rest of the time I've just taken the hit between December and January. Actually, thinking about it, I've taken the hit between Canadian Thanksgiving in early October and the next spring/summertime where I've usually found myself in a slowly descending arc till early fall.
Had one more similar year but MFP is not cooperating with the pasting of the last picture--oh well!
The green area is a range of 5lbs for those not familiar with trendweight.
Given my current trajectory since ... I am most certainly keeping my fingers crossed that the tradition continues!!!!
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I've decided that I'm pretty much going to pay the piper in the new year. Starters and main courses will be fine - no need to stress about those. They'll take me into maintenance calories, but not by much. The damage will be done by the desserts, nibbles and booze. I'll try to limit my portion sizes with the desserts and do a bit of sneaky water drinking when people think I'm hitting the gin....but I'll drink wine with lunch and dinner. If the booze dissolves my resolve and I go doo-lally with the nibbles I'll just have to undo the damage in January and February.
Over the festive period the worst that could happen is a gain of say 5lbs...AS LONG AS I CAN GET BACK IN THE SADDLE IN THE NEW YEAR! This is where your help and support could prove invaluable...
I know from bitter experience that Christmas has the power to interrupt a 300+ day losing streak and cause a tailspin lasting for two years, when I won't approach within half a mile of the horse, let alone get back in the saddle. I mustn't let that happen again!3 -
PAV that’s some impressive record keeping! I’m much less mathematically accurate. Pretty much it’s me and the daily weigh in. Unfortunately a few pounds have lingered over the last few weeks. I try to stay within 5 pounds of lowest weight. But it’s not a good start to the holidays.
Bella - I completely understand your fears about losing control over the holidays. I’m trying to be really careful the next few weeks to enter the new year where I left off rather than with 10 more pounds to lose 😢.2 -
Bella - I completely understand your fears about losing control over the holidays. I’m trying to be really careful the next few weeks to enter the new year where I left off rather than with 10 more pounds to lose 😢.
If we support each other I'm sure we'll be fine.
I'm psychologically scarred by the christmas when I felt supremely confident that I'd be fine because I was firmly 'in the zone', had enjoyed 44 consecutive weeks of losses, and was only 11lbs from goal having lost 69lbs....
I started eating poorly on christmas eve and didn't stop over-eating for 25 months, by which time I'd gained all my weight back and the obligatory additional 5lbs.
I'll never be that complacent again....3 -
Bella I will counter propose something different for you.
There is a balance to be had between I'm eating at the deficit, I'm eating at maintenance, and I'm over eating.
If regular booze is not part of your normal eating these past few months, why do you feel that it has to be a continuous part of your seasonal eating this Christmas because other people are partaking? They can have their booze; you don't really owe them an explanation as to why your may not be having as much. Or you can even come up with something if you really feel you have to.
I would not be heading into this determined to gain x amount of weight.
I would head into this determined to not overeat and maintain my weight while enjoying within reason.
If you then go over it's not the end of the world.
But my hamsters would work better with a few more cut-offs between success and disaster
So I would aim for maintenance or slight loss even if having no intention of achieving the loss, and take the maintenance or slite gain.
It's the difference between having a day or two of extra and going into it determined to have several days of extra
Assuming I'm explaining my thought process right while parked in the parking lot about to go get some dryer vent covers 😹
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Under the you manage what you measure idea my past record keeping was quite good as compared to now.
Maybe there's a hint for me there 🙀🤔1
