The holidays are going to be hard

TonyCrux89

How many can say they used to overindulge this time of year? I'm not saying all of it is going to be moderation and weight consciousness, but for the most part I would like to be at my ideal weight sooner rather than later. Any tips or tricks on how to crack the whip on yourself?

michael1976_ca

smaller plat size if that makes sence. and an early morning exercise

drgmac

More protein...less carbs. I fill up on turkey and ham...skip the gravy, stuffing, and desserts.

Cindyinpg

How many can say they used to overindulge this time of year? I'm not saying all of it is going to be moderation and weight consciousness, but for the most part I would like to be at my ideal weight sooner rather than later. Any tips or tricks on how to crack the whip on yourself?

Enjoy everything in moderation. Looking at it from a weekly perspective, instead of a daily one makes it easier to fit in some indulgent days. :drinker:

wilsoje74

The holidays are 3-4 days not months! Eat what you want ON the holidays not the days in between.

moineau_

I'm really worried about Thanksgiving this year (not so much Christmas though, surprisingly...besides my every once in awhile white chocolate mocha cravings). I'll be having two different Thanksgiving meals, one with my boyfriends family and another with my own family.
Every year I look forward to indulging in my mom's delicious Thanksgiving meal and I don't feel like this year will be any different.

I'm going to just enjoy my one day of overindulging and continue to work hard before and after Thanksgiving.

Sometimes it's okay to have a major cheat day, enjoy yourself!

ThePlight

The holidays are 3-4 days not months! Eat what you want ON the holidays not the days in between.

A lot of people are left with tons of left overs after their family dinners.
It can be tough on them.




What I've started doing with the left overs, I freeze them into separate bags. Some people mind the freezerburn taste..But me? I don't mind it. Another alternative, feed it to your pets. No use letting food go to waste... But what's worse, is EATING all of that food that goes to waste. Perhaps you could have your family take portions of it with them, so you're not left with left-overs yourself. There's an idea

MrGonzo05

Why would you not indulge? There's a difference between eating a whole sheet of cookies and enjoying yourself.

seltzermint555

I'm just gonna be pickier, basically.

No Lil Smokies (I stopped eating meat), no cheese dip, no creamy dip I didn't make myself.

I will drink water, unsweetened tea, or wine in moderation. Steer clear of eggnog, cocoa, cider, and peppermint-tinis and other holiday drinks.

For me...still gonna have plenty of fudge and candy. That stuff's worth it to me. I'll stick to veggie & fruit trays and then enjoy the baked goods (limiting myself to 1 cookie or pie slice) and candy.

bingefreeaubree

The main reason I struggle around the holidays is because at holiday get-togethers there aren't any healthy foods for me to eat, so I instead go for the fatty, high calorie foods. I highly suggest you bring a plate along to pass at any holiday parties you go to- something healthy and delicious that will fill you up, so you're less apt to go for all the other bad foods. :happy: For example, last Thanksgiving, I brought along a plain vegetable blend, (since the only vegetable at the Thanksgiving party is usually green bean casserole which is full of unwanted fat and calories) a toss salad, and a fruit salad for dessert.

Chelz2013

I'm still going to indulge, but I will be going to the gym, even while I'm on vacation, and I will take a nice long walk after a big meal, or do some sort of exercise, to help balance it out. You can also try to drink a big glass of water beforehand to help you get fuller faster. And chew slowly; don't scarf it down. Enjoy every bite!

EHisCDN

This year for Thanksgiving (I'm Canadian and ours has already passed) I let myself eat up to maintenance on meal days. Or even a little over. I got to eat all the foods I love and only get around the holidays. To me it's worth it. In the grand scheme of things it's only a day or two. I say relax and indulge. You can make up for it over the next few days or add an extra workout or something.

SwimTheButterfly

Breakfast with lots of protein. PACK pleanty of protein rich veggie SNACKs! Most relatives don't have healthy food options. Stay away from sugar.
Sugar is so bad for us. Sugar is the hardest thing to deal with for me before Halloween. I am doing much better this year. I am thinking of not buying Halloween candy this year. But I don't want to risk the tricks if we don't give out treats. I think I am going to buy myself one bar of really good Swiss Dark chocolate to have on Halloween instead of the bags of 'fun size' that I used to eat when I was 317lbs.

One thing is for certain. We are all in this together. :flowerforyou:

ChrisS30V

Until this year, I used to view the holidays as the time of the year where healthy lifestyle habits go to die and that Thanksgiving and Christmas were the inevitable death knell for a nutritious diet and exercise. So, I stopped giving a rat's *kitten* about eating healthfully and watching my weight. This year is going to be different for me, because I've been successfully maintaining since June and I more or less plan to adhere to the diet and exercise regimen that has brought me this far. Since both holidays fall on my workout days, I'll eat light early in the day and give myself 1,500-2,000 calories to play with at dinner. That way, I'll be able to control my portions, but still be able to enjoy dinner and a bit of dessert. If I DO end up going over, I don't really care.

The reality is this, eating over maintenance on two days that are over a month apart is going to have little impact on your weight loss/maintenance goals in the long term. What CAN negatively impact your goals is to get lax with your exercise and eating habits. Go out to dinner, enjoy yourself and get back on track the next day, just like the rest of the year.

micheles234

For the big meals, if you're cooking, make healthy sides that you won't feel guilty about, along with the traditional things everyone expects. If you're going somewhere to eat, bring a healthy dish to pass, that way you know there will be something you don't feel bad about. Keep going with the workouts and cal counting. If you must have a "cheat day", sandwich it with good days. I'm worried about holidays too, I just started back at MFP last sunday, gonna try to plow through the holidays, right into January. Not going to do a cookie exchange this year (I always have to try one or two of each kind) but I may do a gathering of friends prior to Christmas with maybe wine and snacks and maybe a massage party!!

kjauthier

Sound advice!

spaingirl2011

Another tactic (because several people have offered excellent suggestions) is to decide ahead of time what you want to indulge in and what you can set aside for this year. Really gotta have that pumpkin pie? Maybe skip the potatoes. Love the homemade stuffing? Maybe don't eat the green beans or the rolls/biscuits.

Sometimes we tend to eat out of obligation and we'll eat what is put on our plate. Make food priorities and skip over those things that you can live without. You can enjoy yourself without eating recklessly.

All best!

glitzy196

i agree with spain girl--that is my plan of attack anyhow. i will eat the foods i really love and skip the ones i don't ..like i always put a little bit of everything..but only a handful of them are my actual favorites.

my mom makes homemade noodles that are my absolute favorite. honestly i might just eat 1500 calories worth of them and then a slice of pie. that will not blow my diet and i will be happy. also STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN. make your plate, eat and move away from the food!!!

guessrs

I'm focusing on all these weeks between the holidays, watching portion control etc, trying to lose as much as I can so I don't have to be as strict during the holidays.

littleburgy

As long as I'm diligent throughout the season, I'm not going to worry too much about the actual holiday festivities. Probably one difference is that I probably won't drink as much as I used to. My body just ain't down with a lot of alcohol these days, which is just as well.

theopenforum

I learned to make my own turkey and dressing using whole wheat bread and lean turkey

pkw58

For whatever reason, once I made the commitment (on Christmas Eve of all days), it is no longer hard . In fact, it would be harder to indulge because my family and co workers and fellow church musicians make it harder to indulge because they expect me not to.

I like it this way.

KuroNyankoSensei

I took to baking my own treats this year, since I knew I would want a ton of sweet treats with my hot tea when fall and winter rolled around. Made some pistachio dream cupcakes that were 89 cals each, and pumpkin bread last night, which came out to be 163 cals per slice for 12 slices a loaf and was really moist and divine ;3. Should have been around 140 cals instead, but I only had vanilla greek yogurt on hand instead if plain nonfat XP.

I probably will make some strawberry cake mix cookies tonight ;D.

dnamouse

Move to Australia where Christmas is in the middle of summer and we eat cold cuts, salad and seafood? lol

May be a bit extreme though :laugh:

I'm just going to eat everything in moderation. But perhaps a bit more plain salad on my plate. Christmas is with the IL's this year, which means no alcohol, so water or a small amount of soft drink is all I'll be having to drink.

We are basically going to be spending all day in the pool and grazing on salads, cold ham, turkey & chicken all day. Desserts are usually pavlova, fruit salad and a little ice cream. There will, however, be much cheese, crackers and dip. But also carrot & celery sticks, so it all evens out

HollisGrant

How many can say they used to overindulge this time of year? I'm not saying all of it is going to be moderation and weight consciousness, but for the most part I would like to be at my ideal weight sooner rather than later. Any tips or tricks on how to crack the whip on yourself?

Motivation clothes (jeans) in the next smaller size work for me. I put them out where I can see them at home and occasionally try them on.

Eat before you go to social events so you aren't hungry. Then eat a small amount on a small plate and eat it as slowly as possible.

nxd10

I did really well last year and plan to again.

Number one thing I learned: eggnog has an impossible amount of calories. Tiny glasses with no whipped cream (or at least watch them carefully). You can blow a whole day's worth of calories on eggnog without trying and without alcohol.

Number two: more protein, less cheese, dips, and carbs. Eat veggies and fruit - lots of buffet tables have them.

I also learned that you can soak up those extra calories if you make sure you do a little extra exercise.

I eat everything that is important to me in small quantities.

Myhaloslipped

Give your leftovers to homeless people, seniors in nursing homes, etc. It will make someone's day, and you won't be tempted to eat them. It's a win-win! This is what I do during the holidays and whenever I want something that is difficult to make in small portions such as casseroles and lasagnas.

MyJourney1960

it is hard but you can do this. I celebrate other holidays but it's also a lot of food, visiting people, not working...

I made sure to do some exercise every day, to do fun things that involved a lot walking, and continue to stay focused on the goal.

leftovers get packaged and frozen. if you are invited somewhere, offer to bring a salad or side that you know is healthy and tasty and isn't full of cream/sugar/butter etc

iechick

Last holiday season I was in the middle of losing weight I still lost a couple pounds through it all. This year I'm in maintenance and I will enjoy some of the food, will skip some of it, and will stop eating when satisfied. I'm very in tune with my body's cues now, and I'm not stressing at all about the upcoming holidays :drinker:

highervibes

I plan on enjoying all the foodz at Christmas keeping my goals in the back of my mind. Realistically I don't think I'll do more than 1lb of actual damage and I'm fairly certain by now I know how to deal with 1 or 2 measley lbs lol

Diane4life

Holidays are a challenge. But relax, scan the choices. Think green salad and veggies first - that would include things like steamed asparagus, mushrooms, whatever is not coated with sauces or cheese; maybe a bit of mashed potato, better yet yams or sweet potatoes assuming they are baked and not loaded with butter, sauces, or coated with marshmallows.. Load your plate with these, then take a portion of protein be it turkey, ham, whatever - 4 ounces max (the size of a deck of cards - no more. You can add some bread if you wish, a small slice or roll. Butter, if you simply can't resist, go for it. One pat, no more. Ah, and then there's dessert. You can safely add a piece of fruit pie like pumpkin, apple, or apricot - no whipped toppings. Be sure you take a super slim slice - doing this you might even indulge in two really slim slices. Oh, I forgot stuffing. My personal stay away from food. Yes its yummy but usually loaded with butter, gravy etc. Forego the stuffing and you'll feel like a winner or simply take a tablespoon full - no more. You get the flavor and can enjoy its texture and memory as it slips down your throat and not feel guilty.

So enjoy your holiday, remember ladies limit yourself to one drink; gents two. And hopefully we'll all see the other side of these holidays without gaining the typical 5 - 10 lbs.