Question for those Success Stories out there!

CaptainGordo

Eat, enjoy, workout, move on.

BobbyDaniel

Eat, enjoy, workout, move on.

Don't think I could have said it better!
I try to make sure I workout when ever I can when I'm out of my food element, and portion control (though hard) is what I try to keep in mind (doesn't always work though!).
At the end of the day I don't beat myself up and remember that tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start and I have the tools necessary to get back to where I need to be!

twinsanity

All things in moderation! For those days, at least when I know the event is coming, I'll have a lighter breakfast, do my normal workout for that day, and just enjoy myself at the event. I don't tend to gorge on the food at those types of events, and you get to know what your healthier choices are, so I stick mostly with those. I just have smaller (for me) portions of the not-so-healthy stuff. Thankgiving, I have a little more turkey rather than a little more mashed potatoes with butter and gravy. At weddings - my husband's family is Mexican, so the food is plentiful and loaded with yummy goodness (aka - calories and fat!)...so I just get a little less of everything than I would have before I started MFP. Pretty much, just stick to serving sizes, and then the next day, do what you normally do and get back on track.

I'm a rebellious person, so I refuse to tell myself I CAN'T have something. It just makes me want it more, then I binge on it. Works so much better if I just have a smaller portion, satisfy the desire, and go on about my day. Hope that helps.

secostley

For me, I just eat. When it comes to certain holidays (e.g. Thanksgiving, birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, etc.). I eat. My philosphy? If I'm staying in shape and watching my weight for 340 days out of the year, eating extra calories for the other 25 days is not going to kill me. Mind you, I make plans for eating those calories ahead of time, so I do take some pre-caloric precautions. However, for the most part, I just go for it.

Shawn

SixCatFaerie

II've had my days where I haven't bothered to log my daily calories because it would just depress me. :laugh: I really think those days are essential in order for me to make this work for a lifetime. As long as I'm eating healthy and working out the *majority* of days, a bad day or even string of days isn't going to throw me off. I'm committed enough now that not eating well takes a toll on my GI system, and that's unpleasant. I also miss working out because I want to see results (like abs, or toned arms), so that's enough motivation to get back to it after a few days of not doing it.

The thing is, I got into the habit of eating healthy and working out *before* I started taking time off. So the days that I take off really *are* the exception, not the rule...and they truly feel that way.

This! Also, If I do have a bad day & I just try to do better the next day. :ohwell: It is so true that things that I used to love & had no problem eating now make me feel sick & really don't taste very good anymore. :sick:

Usually, I take little tastes of things now instead of full servings of everything like I used too! :blushing:

bethdris

I started my lifestlye change in March...so following that I had 4, birthday parties, 5 bbq's , and a few other higher cal lunch/dinners thrown in there.

The advantage you have is these parites are preplanned...which mean you CAN work it into your cal goal without going over. In the time I was losing, not once went over my cal goal. I worked everything I ate into my daily cals, usually by longer more intense workouts. I could then enjoy the cake, cookie, etc I was having that night.

I am now maintaining and still work my "extras" into my cal goal for the day. Everything in moderation!

tross0924

Eat, enjoy, workout, move on.

This and maybe some temperance. No need to have 2 pieces of wedding cake, but 1 is fine. Personally I still logged everything and just didn't stress over the big red number for the day.

docshar

As some others have said, I try to plan for those days and "budget" my calories. I make sure I get in a walk or run in the morning if it's possible (and for me, it usually is), but I don't go crazy with the exercise that day or subsequent days. I try to go lighter on the calories earlier in the day so I've got more "in the bank" for whatever the event is later. I DON'T deprive myself of something I really want. For me, that's counter-productive. I DO pay attention to portion size and limit the amount of unhealthy food I eat. Another thing about the way I approach this is that I don't think of myself as being on a diet. I'm not. I've just changed the way I eat. So nothing is absolutely off limits, but I'm much more mindful of what I'm eating, how much of it I'm eating, and why I'm eating it.

jlanab

i know some wont agree with me but I do the half (1/2) cup rule for holidays. 1/2 cup of dressing, mac-n-cheese, sweet potatoes, and my vegetables add that with a piece of turkey and a drizzle of gravy and I'm stuffed. Until dessert. Choose 1... and eat a half cup of it.:bigsmile: . I did the same for Easter and surprisingly was satisfied and didnt even eat everything i platted. I also try not to starve myself throughout the day. I remember growing up when holidays came around we would eat very little all day and scarf down as much food as we could during the family feast.

There are days (like when i visited my family last month) where I'm sure I ate 3,000 calories.Those days are far and few so i didnt beat myself up about it. As long as you maintain consistent with your exercise. Even a walk in the evening (which is wonderful to suggest because my lazy family doesnt view it as exercise), or find a DVD you enjoy and take it on trips with you just in case.

As always view restaurant menus before dining out so you can be aware of your options and skip the refillable beverages (waste of calories and adds up quickly in that big glass), and skip the free chips, dips, breads and butter and you should be okay.

Cosmic_Unicorn

On Thanksgiving or Christmas or my birthday or whatever, I will eat whatever I want until I am full. And then desert. I will especially do this this coming weekend, as I am cooking and hosting my own Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. I am not going to spend all day cooking a delicious turkey to just eat a few veggies.

But for day to day stuff, like going out to the pub or something, I just hit the gym and eat lighter all day. Or not. Whatever. I don't cheat very often so I don't worry too much about it.

Gotta enjoy life while you're still living.

sweebeesmom

i'm with most of the responses out there. I keep to a pretty strict calorie constraint most of the time. When holidays or celebrations roll around I let myself have it. I don't go nuts and eat until I'm stuffed, but I let myself eat whatever I want. I'm all about having more good days than bad ones.

I think we are all out there doing this to have a better life, and what's life if you've got to give up all of the good things that go with it?

1953Judith

I have added these boundaries to my holiday eating where I am the hostess to primarily young family members.

1. I always provide three choices for dessert -- fruit/after dinner liquor/something decadent. I personally always choose the after dinner drink.

2. While alcoholic beverages are available to all, I try to limit myself to either a glass of wine with dinner or an after dinner drink.

3. I do not add salt to most of my recipes allowing my guests access to the salt shaker.

4. I try to make sure there is at least one healthy choice with the meal and encourage myself to select that choice, but don't get bent out of shape if I choose the less clean choice.

5. I honor portion sizes regardless of whether the food is rich or not (think cheesey mashed potatoes)

6. I Send calorie rich leftovers home with the young adults or freeze immediately.

When going out for a festive event, I limit alcohol and attempt to enforce portion control. If it is an event with a lot of appetizers, I play a game in my mind. I give myself a calorie budget before I leave home, say 500 calories. At the event, I scout the room for what one item I must have. Then I attempt to figure if and what I can have to expend the full 500 budget. Between saving calories for the event and pre and post exercise, it is easy to earn that 500 calories.

Hopefully somewhere in here, there is something that might work for you.

ianfoster

I love to party sometimes.... so I am in a similar predicament, I do my party thing and then after I go on a mini rampage the next work out or two to make up, sometimes I have to get mad with myself inside to drive me on, or come on here and see whos been a good boy/girl and they spur me on! hope that helps

feydruss

In those situations I tend to enjoy a little of everything. If I want cake, I'll have cake--just not two slices! It's not everyday, so enjoy yourself and move on. We need to find a way to live in moderation and good health for a lifetime.

Pebble321

I try to think ahead, look at a menu if I'm going out, make a few smarter choices (like limiting the extras I eat when I'm out - bread for example) but if I want a dessert or an after dinner brandy then I have it, enjoy it and get back on track next day.

I usually go for a long run on Saturdays so that typically gives me an extra buffer of calories to eat if we are out for dinner, but if it's not on a Saturday I just accept that I will be over for the day and that as long as I enjoyed the celebration and/or food it's all good!

Life is going to continue whether I am eating healthy or not, I am aiming to continue to make the healthiest choices I can on regular days and just keep a little bit of moderation happening when we go out - if I think I'm going to have dessert, I'll choose a lighter main course for example.. I don't necessarily eat everything on my plate at a restaurant, I keep a bit of an eye on how much I'm drinking and alternate with water or soda water if it looks like a long night.

This is a great topic because now I'm so close to my goal (0.1kg away today!) I have to face the awful reality that I can't stop paying attention to a healthy lifestyle now I'm here. I have to keep making good food choices and keep exercising or I will slide back up to where I was 8 months ago - just as I've done so many times over the years.
So, it's a case of "the (weight loss) goal is dead, long live the (maintenance) goal"!

Shishkeberry

I eat the same things I used to (unless I'm cooking, then it's usually lower calorie versions of the traditional stuff), I just make sure I eat a lot less of it.