Thanksgiving is almost upon us

amusecruise
amusecruise Posts: 15
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

Canadian Thanksgiving is in two weeks. I just started my diet and this is the first celebration that I will ever have on a diet. Usually at thanksgiving I get together with a bunch of friends and we have a potluck of a bunch of tasty food. I am reading a weight loss book that says when you are traveling or going to a big celebration to plan ahead how you will avoid over-eating.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to not overeat at big food-centered celebrations?
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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It's one day of many....just enjoy yourself. I started all of this last Setptember...made it through Thanksgiving and Christmas enjoying my feast and still lost 40 Lbs...it's one day of many days. BIG PICTURE not minutia.
  • lizzy32
    lizzy32 Posts: 9 Member
    It is help full if you have water before you go and a nice health snack to avoid over eating and if it is a potluck bring one of your fav dishes so you that there is aleast one thing you can have also look at all the dishes before you take anything and take small portion and do not go back for seconds also if you can take gum to chew on also it may help you :happy:
  • shadowkitty22
    shadowkitty22 Posts: 495 Member
    I would definitely suggest planning out your meals for the day as best you can. I understand that this can be hard to do when you're at a potluck and don't know what people are going to be bringing. If you can, ask around to see what people are going to bring so you can think about what you really want to eat more than other things. Also, getting in a workout before you go will give you some extra calories to work with. Also, remember that it's just one day and if you overeat that it's not the end of the world.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    I began this in May of 2012 and was also concerned about over eating during the holidays. It's been over a year and as another poster said - Thanksgiving is one day. Eat some of everything you like. Go for a walk that afternoon. The next day get back on plan. Thanksgiving and Christmas is not what made me gain weight - the other 363 days did. Enjoy your life.
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
    Intermittent fasting can keep you in an overall weekly deficit.
    http://rippedbody.jp/2011/11/22/how-to-use-intermittent-fasting-to-eat-like-a-king-and-keep-your-abs-this-holiday-season/

    basically 3 strategies:
    1) do (2) 24hr fasts in the week following the feast
    2) do (1) 40hr fast following the feast
    3) do (1) 40hr fast leading up to the feast

    and during the feast, fill up on protein and veggies first, then hit the carbs a la potatoes, bread, sugar, etc.

    Also, having a full-body glycogen-depleting workout the morning before the feast will minimize fat storage.

    Don't weigh yourself the day after, carbs/sodium retain water so you'll have some initial water weight gain, but it should be back to normal within the week.
  • Italiangrey
    Italiangrey Posts: 12
    definitely not cranberry sauce, thats all i have to say
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    My stomach has shrunk and I wont be able to eat more than one plate of food. Hopefully i will be able to do portion control. Im counting on it.
  • amusecruise
    amusecruise Posts: 15
    Thank you both for the advice and putting it in perspective!
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,407 Member
    EAT TURKEY! :D yes. And again in the morning!
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    ummm...enjoy everything, and don't overeat. That is your life now.
    Or, pig out, and make up for it next week. Either way, enjoy your holiday. I know I will.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Pre-logging as best I can often helps me stick to a plan and keep from over-eating. That and remembering how much I hate the way I feel when I do occasionally eat too much - not guilt or anything, just the discomfort! :tongue:

    If there are traditional foods that people are likely to bring, lof as best you can and try to stick with that you planned for, making adjustments to your diary at the end of the day as needed. Keep a bottle or glass of water handy at all times and drink up!

    And as others have said, if you do go over, no stress - it's one day. :smile:
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I've never been at a holiday celebration yet that they force fed you. Use portion control and make good choices. You don't have to over eat to enjoy yourself. Enjoy the company, savour a bit of the things you like and feel good about your day.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    I would just have smaller portions and alternate wine and water :-)
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    since i lollygagged all summer im gonna be in the same boat as you. if this is a lifestyle change for you do as others hve suggested and allow urself the one day to enjoy and just focus on the big picture. in my case im hunkering down again harder starting now and so my plan for our thanksgiving which is weeks away would be if i were bringing a side to bring plain green beans with toppings for others to add like bacon mushroom sauce fried onions almonds etc. i would eat a big salad right before going and a coffee on the way. try having a big appetite after that. then i would fill half my plate with my plain green beans and claim to LOVE them like that and a 4th the plate turkey and the other 4th a roll or stiffing or mashed potatoes whichever looks tastiest. then i would eat mostly the green beans and dabble in the other stuff. if dessert got pushed on me i would gracefully accept...but ask for coffee with it. then i would focus on the coffee act so full and ask to take it home with me and finish my coffee and leave right away. no napping and waking up for seconds. i would work that dessert into the next days cals and since my diet allows a full meal like i just describd i would have stayed on course without starting a dialogue about my weight loss plans in front of family or in laws which i dont know who is worse anymore.
  • Sovictorrious
    Sovictorrious Posts: 770 Member
    No it's really not. At all.
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  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    focus more on being lucky enough to spend the holidays with your family and friends, than the food situation. The more you focus on the food part, the more it will become the most important part of the day - and it should never be :heart: good luck!
  • Sovictorrious
    Sovictorrious Posts: 770 Member
    No it's really not. At all.

    I guess you don't live in Canada?

    I don't, I should have paid more attention, my bad. Enjoy guys
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    I'm planning to just save all my calories for the meal/leftovers -- that's about 1000 for the meal itself and 500 for a late-night leftover party. I don't honestly think I'll eat anywhere near that, but if I want to I'll be able to. And if I go over by a few hundred? Meh. It's one day. Even if I ate up to maintenance (about 2300) I wouldn't gain. (For that matter, even if I ate something ridiculous like 3000 calories I wouldn't gain more than a few ounces.) After the holiday I'll plan my daily meals around leftovers for a week or so because... seriously, turkey and cranberry sauce and cornbread stuffing are not terrible foods to eat, and I love them.

    Don't stress about it much. Make sensible choices, sure, but make sure to give yourself plenty of room to enjoy the holiday and the food. Bring a food scale if you want to watch your portions, check in with yourself periodically to see how you're feeling ("Am I starting to feel stuffed? Do I still really have room for pie or should I wait a little while?"), and don't forget the wine. ;)
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    My stomach has shrunk and I wont be able to eat more than one plate of food. Hopefully i will be able to do portion control. Im counting on it.

    After sleeping all night, I have revised my answer and quote this for awesome. That's exactly what happened to me last holidays. I could not eat what I normally did in the past - it was not even an issue. This has become my life now and I am used to it. Stick to your plan every other day and you'll find that the same is true for you.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    There is no right or wrong way or answer. My suggestion would be to just not stress over it either way. Myself, I plan on eating all the food on Thanksgiving, and probably leftovers for a few days. I will do the same at Christmas too. I have this figured out FOR ME. My way won't work for everyone. Find YOUR way to deal with it.
  • blondiebabe92
    blondiebabe92 Posts: 132 Member
    Well I am doing a 9 mile race on American Thanksgiving, that is my plan so I can eat a ton of food and desserts. But if there isn't a 9 mile race then just eat and enjoy! Taste a bit of everything and eat your veggies
  • i2rsantos
    i2rsantos Posts: 26
    focus more on being lucky enough to spend the holidays with your family and friends, than the food situation. The more you focus on the food part, the more it will become the most important part of the day - and it should never be :heart: good luck!

    I very much like this advice. I have been working overseas for 2 months, so I will be focusing mainly on my loved ones on Canadian Thanksgiving. This will mean more talking and only grazing, over a long period of time.

    Although I have to admit the glycogen depleting exercise strategy is attractive to me. :smile:
  • MikaMojito
    MikaMojito Posts: 680 Member
    We don't do Thanksgiving in Germany, but I've already planned Christmas dinner and boy, it's not gonna be low-fat. And I won't care. I will eat it and enjoy it. And the next day, I will probably have another Christmas dinner with another part of the family. And then I will be back to eating healthily. Also, I'll make sure I don't eat a lot on those days apart from the big meal. I've tried quenching my hunger by eating salad etc but it doesn't work for me, so it's only extra calories. I'd rather skip breakfast than Christmas dessert.
  • AshleyMeggg
    AshleyMeggg Posts: 148 Member
    Usually what I do in a situation like this is to eat as little as possible before the event, thus saving more calories for dinner than I usually do, giving some more room to enjoy. But remember if you do that you're going to be more hungry than usual so you'll be more inclined to heap things on your plate. Be smart about serving sizes and you'll be fine. Maybe a little over, but nothing too drastic.
  • swat1948
    swat1948 Posts: 302 Member
    Not looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas but I do not log those two days. I do try to eat within reason but I allow myself treats that any other day I would not. My cheat days are few and far in between so I think it doesn't hurt and I get back on track the next day. I still do my workout and drink my water.
  • sarah456s
    sarah456s Posts: 98 Member
    Well, we do Thanksgiving in November, so there's still a little time for me to plan. My family tends not to serve lunch because we eat kind of mid-afternoon, so I guess the theory is that we're replacing both lunch and dinner with one meal. But I'm usually starving by the time we actually sit down to eat, and have grazed on appetizers from noon onwards. Usually cheese and nuts. Last year, I tried to avoid the fatty appetizers in order to reduce my intake, so I starved all day, started on the wine too early, got drunk because I was drinking on an empty stomach, and then ate far too much after that.

    This year, my plan is to have protein for breakfast, go and do some exercise, actually have a small lunch, NOT stuff my face with cheese and nuts during the early afternoon, and then have ONE plate full of yumminess, and ONE plate of dessert. And not go crazy with wine. But I plan to enjoy my meal - for me, it's always the extras that cause problems - the second helpings, the appetizers, and alcohol. So if I pay attention to them, I can enjoy the actual food more, I think.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    I am going to destroy 4 plates of food on thanksgiving. and half a pie

    Oh hellz yeah.
  • loriq41
    loriq41 Posts: 479 Member
    Forgot about this nonsense...lol....start on Monday and eat below your cals a bit each day, work out the days leading up to the big eating day (Im crazy enough to probably work out that morning)..have something light until the big dinner and then eat your face off (within reason)...lol

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