This week in Challenges...Sunday -- Holiday Stress Planning
m23prime
Posts: 358 Member
ALRIGHTY THEN!
I am back!
My workload has abated, my clients are happy, my dawg is healthy, my girlfriend is mobile again, and YOU folks have been wonderfully patient.
Let me start off by saying a GI-NORM-OUS thank you to the new moderator/admin team. Malia, Mike, Dan...you folks ROCK!
* Alana--you will always be top of our admin list--our Modest of the Mods--but we haven't seen you months--so we're moving on. Come back ANYTIME! Our love and good thoughts are with you and your family. Always *
But now it's November.
Nothing but cold, dark, and dangerous feasts left between now and spring...
Unless you live somewhere not cold and dark in November and December--but as a Canadian, I can't really wrap my head around that--in which case, you are on your own.
But seriously...
Mood altering changes in light and temperature accompanied by seasonal shifts in social dynamics and the feeding patterns of the whole herd can mess us up as individuals.
I don't know how it is for you, but the weather, the occasions, the gatherings, the parties, the drinks, and all the other seasonal obligations get to me after a while. And please spare me from another tense feast with family I don't like, yet STILL forced to eat with every Yule tide, like some sort of exquisite seasonal torture. (Yes, Uncle Bobby, I still think you're a waste of space, and I don't care about your latest big idea...)
Sorry...I am both rambling and fretting at the same time. Not productive. I need a plan to deal with pending holiday stress. My old plan; eat chips, is off the table this year. Just cuz.
Today I challenge you to lay out your worries about the upcoming season.
Are you scared of old behaviors or unhealthy family traditions?
"Well...after a lovely day of opening presents and feasting, we retire to the chocolate fountain to drink our fill and eat stale Easter Peeps while singing selections from Oklahoma..."
Are you overburdened with work and deadlines?
"I'll get the kids' pageant costumes done just as soon as I finish addressing the cards, planning the feasts, making the decorations for everybody else, and get the Norton account in order and on the bosses' desk before the deadline. No. No. It's no bother..."
For me it's the music...
"Par um pa pum THIS, buddy!"
My plan for this season is stay organized--including meal plans and controlled portions for feast occasions. PLUS I plan to decline more invitations than usual. I don't HAVE to show up for food I don't like, at a place that is hard to get to, to hang out with people I don't care about. The people I love, know I love them all year round.
I also want to be patient. Both with myself and with others who may not get It.
Finally, I am going to make sure I have rewards ready for my good behavior.
So...Organization. Patience. Rewards. That's how I'm going to get through the next ten weeks.
So...
What are your holiday worries and how are you going to cope with 'em?
Post it here!
...and coming Monday...water and salt challenge
I am back!
My workload has abated, my clients are happy, my dawg is healthy, my girlfriend is mobile again, and YOU folks have been wonderfully patient.
Let me start off by saying a GI-NORM-OUS thank you to the new moderator/admin team. Malia, Mike, Dan...you folks ROCK!
* Alana--you will always be top of our admin list--our Modest of the Mods--but we haven't seen you months--so we're moving on. Come back ANYTIME! Our love and good thoughts are with you and your family. Always *
But now it's November.
Nothing but cold, dark, and dangerous feasts left between now and spring...
Unless you live somewhere not cold and dark in November and December--but as a Canadian, I can't really wrap my head around that--in which case, you are on your own.
But seriously...
Mood altering changes in light and temperature accompanied by seasonal shifts in social dynamics and the feeding patterns of the whole herd can mess us up as individuals.
I don't know how it is for you, but the weather, the occasions, the gatherings, the parties, the drinks, and all the other seasonal obligations get to me after a while. And please spare me from another tense feast with family I don't like, yet STILL forced to eat with every Yule tide, like some sort of exquisite seasonal torture. (Yes, Uncle Bobby, I still think you're a waste of space, and I don't care about your latest big idea...)
Sorry...I am both rambling and fretting at the same time. Not productive. I need a plan to deal with pending holiday stress. My old plan; eat chips, is off the table this year. Just cuz.
Today I challenge you to lay out your worries about the upcoming season.
Are you scared of old behaviors or unhealthy family traditions?
"Well...after a lovely day of opening presents and feasting, we retire to the chocolate fountain to drink our fill and eat stale Easter Peeps while singing selections from Oklahoma..."
Are you overburdened with work and deadlines?
"I'll get the kids' pageant costumes done just as soon as I finish addressing the cards, planning the feasts, making the decorations for everybody else, and get the Norton account in order and on the bosses' desk before the deadline. No. No. It's no bother..."
For me it's the music...
"Par um pa pum THIS, buddy!"
My plan for this season is stay organized--including meal plans and controlled portions for feast occasions. PLUS I plan to decline more invitations than usual. I don't HAVE to show up for food I don't like, at a place that is hard to get to, to hang out with people I don't care about. The people I love, know I love them all year round.
I also want to be patient. Both with myself and with others who may not get It.
Finally, I am going to make sure I have rewards ready for my good behavior.
So...Organization. Patience. Rewards. That's how I'm going to get through the next ten weeks.
So...
What are your holiday worries and how are you going to cope with 'em?
Post it here!
...and coming Monday...water and salt challenge
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Replies
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Well not much could too last Christmas for really crap-tastic in my books, I actually walked out on my family and drove in circles crying while my husband stalked called me for 2 hours... It was super...
This year we are abandoning all the stress and we are going away to a hotel for 2 nights and 3 days. I have just decided to not do it again... I do have though my wedding anniversary my birthday and Christmas all in a 10 day period so my plans are
1) host the big family Christmas at my house after our vacation so I am relaxed and in control
2) for the other family... Plan a quick breakfast potluck... Eggs are safe and very little stress
3) for my wedding anniversary before Christmas... We are actually not celebrating till February cause I'm getting us tickets to a
Comedian my husband likes
4) my birthday will be 1 lunch a few days before with my friends at work and one dinner the day of with my family and I get to pick the restaurants so I can choose safely...
With any luck I will make it out of the holidays with ease...0 -
The Holiday's at the Ward Household:
Son's birthday. Not sure where he will want to go out to dinner, but that will be the treat for him.
Thanksgiving potluck and "dressing" bakeoff at work. Bring a protein shake and have that before the festivities that I will be MC'ing anyway. (I'm sure you know I am completely unfit for that, the way I hate to talk/post...):drinker:
Thanksgiving day - Daughter is not coming home from college, Son hates Turkey and will have leftover dressing from above. I'm thinking maybe lamb for a change.
Early December - Work Christmas party - having a luau. Will have smoked pulled pork from a local BBQ place, fruits, etc. So while I'm sure there will be plenty of starches, there will be lots of good stuff too.
Christmas - Going to the Brother-in-Law's place. Stress, anxiety, etc. It will be difficult because there are some GREAT restaurants there. With the wife and I splitting meals though, we should be fine.
December may be a slower loss month, but planning each week in advance should help.0 -
Amen brother! The holidaze is on and very stressful with EXPECTATIONS!
I am practicing in front of the mirror, "I won't be cooking the holiday meals for everyone this year!"
Everything is up in the air because my eldest son who is in the Navy completes his training in Connecticut on 11/27/13 and will most likely be driving to Norfolk, VA on Thanksgiving day. I don't know if we will be joining him or waiting until Winter break to see him in VA before he is deployed to the Mediterranean
My plan is to just say No to all the baking, cooking, and parties. I think I place the expectations on myself, so this will be a great test. I do have a couple friends who enjoy making homemade holiday treats together, but they know how hard I am working to get rid of my fat self once and for all.
My biggest obstacle is my skinny husband who believes I can still cook and bake the delicious holiday food for him and his father and just not eat it myself. Then I get clean up duty while he and his dad chillax on the couch because it is still the 1950's where women did all the work in the house....ugh, I am rambling. Perhaps Publix can cook our feast this year and I can go to the beach?
I will have Game night instead of a "holiday" party at my house because I can stay in control, invite the fun folks, and have plenty of refreshments I can actually eat/drink.
I actually want to drop weight this season instead of "holding my own". January 2014 will come with no regrets and I will have a head start instead of extra holiday pounds! :happy:0 -
I am striking it lucky this year. 2/3 kids birthdays are done, Thanksgiving and Halloween done. I have hubby's birthday at the end of the month, but he wants a firepit party in the backyard. Easy to make lots of snacks and make it healthier food for me. He wants burgers on the bbq. I can have a turkey burger. The only issue might be hot chocolate. Yum! December is also going to be easy. Our work parties are pathetic so we don't go (we're not just being anti-social, there is very little effort put in to make it fun). AND a lot of my extended family is heading to Mexico for Christmas. We're not... I like Christmas at home. So we'll have a small turkey dinner that's not outrageous. I also do a ton of baking, but I'm not really a sweets girl. I make hundreds of cookies and chocolates, but might eat 3. too funny! My 5yr old's birthday is right after Christmas but we'll be sledding! Yay!
Plus when Christmas season starts, so does my overtime. I'll be working 10-13 hours shifts some days and 5-6 days a week right up to Christmas. I'll be to busy to eat.
My plan is to try to keep up my exercise level during the busyness of the season, so I won't have to start over in January.
I like BTL plan of a January with no regrets!0 -
My plan is simply to log everything before I eat it so I dont go over my calories. And I am cooking most of the meals so I determine how much butter,oil and sugar goes into things so I should be ok
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i am still going to go to my mother's to cook the big, traditional turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. i plan on eating turkey and a bite of stuffing and a bite mashed potatoes and a bite or corn. and then i plan on eating 1/2 a piece of pumpkin pie. oh can't wait.
then it will be cookie baking time. we always bake about 200 christmas cookies and gingerbread men. we decorate them all up and give them away as gifts. usually i eat about a pound of homemade frosting strait while do it and this year i can't have any. so that will be a challenge. i do plan on eating a gingerbread boy in two parts though!
christmas dinner is ham, which i hate, so i will be baking me a chicken breast. and a bite of potato salad and a bite of macaroni salad and 1/2 piece of apple pie. and probably 1/2 of the aforementioned frosted christmas cookie.
all together, i think i'll be able to handle my first holiday post w.l.s. pretty well. here's hoping!
jackie0 -
Thought I would bump this back up. Much of what Mark posted still rings true and I know I needed a reminder.
It is interesting to read my plans, some of which held true, but life impacted others.
Thanksgiving was Posole soup and a Tamale. (AND the start of me losing again!). On the flip side, the lack of family and friends near was strikingly depressing. At least we will have a lot of family contact at Christmas.
I love MFP and the ability it gives us to look at each others logging. Those ideas can help jump start us again, so thanks to Vicki, Paula, Wink, and my other WLS compadres. You help more than you may realize.
For December, I have a work holiday party on the 11th. It is good because we are doing pulled pork, so I can key on that protein with salad and not go off the rails. Since everyone at work knows I've lost, I'm hoping for minimal gifts of candy or baked goods. If they do happen, well there is the family with the kids next door... :laugh:
So how does December look for you?0 -
Okay, my biggest challenge will be to avoid easily-digestible starches & sugars. Will try to fill up on protein and water.
In California, there is a snap in the air and it's dark at 5:00. KOIT is playing 24/7 sappy holiday musak (sorry, but reveling in the birth of a little baby who rates up there with Buddha & Ghandi makes me feel better). At work we take 8 days off and I'm gonna grab 2 more for some serious down time. Get to visit a source of unending love (miss my Mom, she can' travel anymore).
Eating schedule should work:
- This week: farewell party for Nancy, going to support only. Can't imagine paying $50 for a meal I can't eat much of, so eating nothing. Will have protein shake beforehand.
- Next week, work holiday breakfast at a restaurant and it's free. I'll have eggs (and maybe a bite of potatoes).
- Xmas eve, made reservations early at our favorite restaurant, great fish and salads, will avoid the dinner rolls.
- Visit Mom. Will pack protein powder and turkey jerky. The pantry's well stocked, these staples travel well.
- New Year's Eve, taking advantage of being a geezer: crashing early.
God bless us everyone!0 -
Sounds like you are on top of it PaulaKro!
Enjoy your visit with your Mom.0 -
I'm new here so I thought I'd jump right in.
I co-manage an RV Resort in Arizona and right now it's snowbird season, which is a bit like a cruise ship without the water! Every time I turn around it's another eating event...potlucks, happy hours, breakfasts, luncheons, cookie swaps and then there are the holiday dinners and parties...the list goes on.
This season I have a plan. Part of it is devious, but you do what you have to. I've downloaded an app on my phone that will "fake dial" me. When I go to events, I set a timer to suddenly get a call just when's the chow bags come out! This will cover some of the lighter parties. For the big holiday meals I have decided to go last in line. This way I can walk down the line and see all the choices before I put anything on my plate and decide which are the better choices. Then for desserts, my trusty Mister has agreed to bring me ONE thing from the choices...I don't even have to approach that personal hell.
Other than that, I've decided to simply try to do my best.0 -
Paula, good planning and have a great trip. We want a report on your mom's reaction to the new you!
LeAnn, I think I need that app! ROFL. Best of luck with your plan. While no plan survives contact with the enemy, having a plan of any sort prepares you for dealing with the unexpected. Sounds like a winning combination you have set.
Now, if the Mister really loves you, does he bring you a dessert you love or one you will eat, but not be pushed over the edge with? Inquiring husbands everywhere want to know...:huh:0 -
Paula, good planning and have a great trip. We want a report on your mom's reaction to the new you!
LeAnn, I think I need that app! ROFL. Best of luck with your plan. While no plan survives contact with the enemy, having a plan of any sort prepares you for dealing with the unexpected. Sounds like a winning combination you have set.
Now, if the Mister really loves you, does he bring you a dessert you love or one you will eat, but not be pushed over the edge with? Inquiring husbands everywhere want to know...:huh:
If he's smart, he'll bring chocolate! lol. J/K he will probably get a plate full of assorted stuff and let me have one.
I did have an idea this morning. I might make a sugar-free cheesecake pudding with fresh fruit and save some for myself as my dessert...problem solved!0
