Your tip for not caving to Christmas party tempting treats?

thelittlewoman_2000

Office party, family get-togethers, charity ball, fundraisers, happy hour....... I would love to hear your words of wisdom!
May God bless us and keep us healthy and happy!

The Little Woman

eledit

I usually eat something healthy (usually fruit or greek yogurt) before going so that I'm not so hungry when I get there.

howardheilweil

Try to exercise self-control... Eat what looks good, just in responsible portions. Stop eating when you feel satisfied.

aerochic42

-limit the **** tails, drink water or seltzer maybe furit flavored,
-eat something healthy and filling before going;
-take advantage of special limited availability treats or rather avoid the things that are always available (storebought chocolate chip cookies -skip, but ONE of Aunt Helen's uber-duber special only made at Christmas cookies - eat)
-try to find some healthier options at the party; veggie or fruit trays, cocktail shrimp, nuts
-keep a drink in one hand and a plate in the other; It makes eating much more challenging, especially if it involves utensils

elainecroft

talk to people, and position yourself away from the food. make conversation the goal, not just the yummy treats.

karlsantiago

sorry i cant give advice on this, my only 2 cents is to go all out, enjoy your holidays man! be with familyand friends! have fun! but MAKE SURE the rest of your year you stay on your grind....think about it, theres only about 3-4 holidays a year where food is a big thing... winter holidays, thanksgiving, 4th of july, superbowl etc.

4 days out of 365, i think you will be just fine, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

leslisa

I cave. But - I eat small portions and when the belly's full - that's it.

The important thing is that I run an average of 5 miles a day on vacation, and, as much as I hate, hate, hate it; I actually work out too, so I have a calorie surplus if suddenly act like a moron and eat a half a pie or something...

kristensaav

If you are too tempted than workout more than you normally do. That is what I did on thanksgiving. It works. Workout harder, keep you portions to a minimum!

pawoodhull

Per my nutritionist, never go hungry. Always eat before you go and eat enough that you really don't want to eat what's there. Make sure to stay hydrated with water during and keep yourself on the other side of the room from the food tables. You are less likely to graze if you have to go across the room to do it.

Cayjominara

AAUGH! The Christmas goodie season is HERE! You are going to have to decide TODAY that you aren't going to give into certain sweet temptations. You need to resolve in your mind RIGHT NOW that you won't give in to it. Don't wait until the Santa cookies are in front of you to make that decision. That'll be too late and you'll get beat! Make the choice NOW, set up your system of principles and then commit to them! That's the key. By the time you get to the first Christmas party, you'll have already fully developed your will power and resistance. I don't know: your decision might be to not eat ANY treats, or it might be to limit yourself, but whatever your DECISION, make the full commitment to it and don't deviate. I'm not going to tell you to avoid the sweets. It's impossible. My house is FULL of pies and cakes and cookies. MY GOD! But I made a commitment to myself, and I will NOT be swayed. I just WON'T. You can do it too!

dunnodunno

-limit the **** tails, drink water or seltzer maybe furit flavored,
-eat something healthy and filling before going;
-take advantage of special limited availability treats or rather avoid the things that are always available (storebought chocolate chip cookies -skip, but ONE of Aunt Helen's uber-duber special only made at Christmas cookies - eat)
-try to find some healthier options at the party; veggie or fruit trays, cocktail shrimp, nuts
-keep a drink in one hand and a plate in the other; It makes eating much more challenging, especially if it involves utensils

This. I would definitely opt for the foods you don't eat very often rather than the foods you could eat any day of the week.

gabrielleelliott90

Well the thing is, these things only happen once a year. I know all the health nuts won't agree with me, of course, but it's not bad to treat yourself. I'm not saying you have to eat everything, but save some calories up and use those on what you want. And if you go over, exercise it off. December is all about enjoying yourself.

charliex2202

I recommend a needle and thread... i will be sewing my mouth closed that is the only way i will survive Christmas lol :bigsmile:

temptation everywhere!

imgritz

I drink a glass of water before I eat. It help fills me up and I eat a little less.

It's ok to have a treat. Just don't treat yourself to all of the treats. :laugh:

mapenguinkeeper

eat a salad or piece of fruit before you go.

FishingFan123

I eat my entire meal before I go. Then I bring an already popped bag of popcorn to munch on while there.

If it a sit down dinner, I have only a salad as the main course with dressing on the side that I dip the lettuce in.

thelittlewoman_2000

Good advice. A serving of my favorite yogurt, Fage Total 0 Greek is only 33 calories per serving.

KANGOOJUMPS

EAT
DRINK
SHRINK

thelittlewoman_2000

Will do! Anything on a buffet will have to pass the eye test first. Congratulations on losing 33 pounds.

thelittlewoman_2000

That's good advice---Sample the homemade offerings and pass on the bucket of Popeye's.

thelittlewoman_2000

Popcorn will fill me up! Microwave 94% fat-free butter popcorn is only 30 calories per cup. Smart. congratulatios on losing 11 pounds.

Cindyinpg

My plan is to enjoy everything, including plenty of treats, in moderation throughout the entire season and to log and exercise as usual. December is no different than every other month. Enjoy food, celebrate occasions with family, but aim for a weekly average calorie deficit, if weight loss is your goal.

1968samuel

Bumping to read for later. I have three work parties next week and one big family Christmas party. I'll need all the suggestions I can get!

JesterMFP

Per my nutritionist, never go hungry. Always eat before you go and eat enough that you really don't want to eat what's there. Make sure to stay hydrated with water during and keep yourself on the other side of the room from the food tables. You are less likely to graze if you have to go across the room to do it.

Unfortunately, that doesn't really work for me. Over-eating doesn't have much to do with hunger (for me). For that reason, I would rather eat lightly during the day (or even fast, depending on the circumstances) and eat at the event in question. (Again, depending on circumstances, whether it's an actual meal or just sweets etc.) I try to focus on getting a decent amount of protein and vegetables for the day, and not going to crazy on the rest.

-take advantage of special limited availability treats or rather avoid the things that are always available (storebought chocolate chip cookies -skip, but ONE of Aunt Helen's uber-duber special only made at Christmas cookies - eat)

I really like this one, and tend to go by this. Eat the foods you really enjoy. Try not to mindlessly eat the ones you're not that bothered about. Save eating the ones you can have all year round for another occasion.

Mostly, I just try to be mindful. Without planning, and the ability to accurately track everything, I can easily eat far more than I need to, but if I take a step back and keep asking myself whether I really want to eat that, and mentally check how much I've already had etc, then I have a little more control. And, just make it as easy on yourself as you can. If it's a buffet, don't sit right by the food table. Get a drink, and focus on talking to people, and enjoying the atmosphere. Maybe take a look at what food's on offer and give yourself time to choose what you're going to have.

And, if you eat too much, don't beat yourself up about it. By all means use calorie cycling or intermittent fasting, or increase activity as ways of managing your intake, but don't fall into crazy amounts of exercise, or fasting to try to compensate for eating "badly" etc. Worst case scenario, you might gain a couple of pounds over the season, but you know how to get it off again. But, with practice, eating moderately does get easier.

judyde

I try not to arrive too hungry, but with enough calories in my "food budget" to enjoy. A tough balancing act!

When I arrive, before taking any food, look over all the offerings. I've read that people eat less when they scan everything that's there first. Seems to make sense. You don't want to fill up a plate, then realize, "oh, no I didn't notice those other cookies over there...I need some of those, too"

My third and final tip is to fill up your plate as much as possible with healthy stuff (Yes, someone will bring a veggie or fruit plate), and of the other stuff, focus on the UNIQUE or favorite items you only get at Christmas-time. It helps me out a lot to think to myself "I can get a chocolate chip cookie anytime, I'm going to take these mincemeat/peppermint/eggnog cookies I can only get at Christmas time."

Hope that helps!

ETA - oops I just noticed others suggested the same as me. I thought my 3rd tip was new one!

MinnieInMaine

While I'm all about not depriving yourself, I haven't had much success with the whole "enjoy it, it's only once a year" thing because it's not just one day. There are goodies at work, there are goodies offered by friends and family, there are goodies at parties and happy hours and whatever else you might get invited to or go to. And every year I have gained about 10 pounds over the holidays. Not too big of a deal the first year when I still had another 50 pounds to lose so it came off fairly quickly - but these days when I'm THAT close to goal, having to lose another 10 pounds on top of that is a big pain in the *kitten*.

So, this year I have committed to a different mindset. Nothing too drastic, just a little better perspective. I'll still have goodies but limit it to one choice per event. There's no need to have one of each just because I'm afraid to miss out on all the different flavors of cookies, fudge, pie, cake, squares, etc. They will be around again next year and for years after that.

My motivation is my annual exam in January. I would like to be down at least a few pounds from last year and even better, I'd like my cholesterol results to show further improvement.

It's not going to be easy but I know I can do it!

janlichtenstein

Now that Christmas is approaching, and I know there are a lot of family gatherings, etc. .. Then I will be even more vigilant about taking my fiber capsules, so I do not overeat also like that I do not have cravings for snacks and other goodies. I'm such a good start that Christmas should not get destroy my goals ...:happy:

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ktsmom430

I started over again more days than most of you here have been alive.
Since I have been on MFP, I have had to keep asking myself over and over again, "will eating this be worth it? If not, don't put it in your mouth", invariably, the answer is NO, it is not worth the extra calories. I will continue to log everything I put in my mouth. I will allow for small treats, but I will not overindulge. I will NEVER go back to where I was almost 21 months ago.
Nothing tastes better than being a normal weight feels.

likitisplit

I eat the stuff that's worth it.

feelin_gr_8

Really hard to not go overboard when the boss is footing the bill Tonight we have my work Christmas party. I've contacted the restaurant about the menu, planned what I will order, and what I'll take home in a doggie bag. After that is a church Christmas party (man is December over-booked!) and that will be hard to not snack on goodies, planning to workout beforehand to compensate and might carry some calories over until tomorrow