Will you be giving yourself a break over Xmas?

LJGmom

I will prob go over my calories, but I will log it all and probably exercise more to help make up.

stephabef

No way. Everything in moderation. This is a forever plan for me.

AshleyAmmerman

I will not be taking a break for Christmas or thanksgiving or any holiday. Everyone should be loosing weight via life style change not just some short term diet. Therefore, would conclude that nothing should really change eating habits wise during any holiday.

Fatchickslim

I'm going to continue to log through the holidays and enjoy myself. I'll just have to do a little more exercise if I'm going to enjoy a cookie or two.

^ This! I can't afford to just go for broke and let it go over the holidays, but I will enjoy myself! And as many others have said it the same as for any other occasion that I'll have to face for the rest of forever!

kmbrooks15

I will not log on Christmas Day, but I will get out and ride bikes with my kids (hopefully the weather will permit!). That will be the only day besides Thanksgiving Day that I let myself off the hook. All other days will be logged and monitored.

tschmelzer

No way, even though I am almost done, if I take a break especially over Christmas I will sabotage myself. Not caring what I eat over Christmas is a good way for me to gain 10 pounds. I'm not used to eating normally yet to do that in a high calorie holiday.

Same!!! If I fall off the band wagon over the holidays I will be the girl that gained 10 pounds over christmas vacation. No thank you

Mommawarrior

I haven't read any replies, the title of this just really urked me. Giving myself a break? From what? life? That is why diets fail. There is some kind of mental block where people can't except that until we take the power away from food, food will always win.

This is really how I feel about it, I was just trying to word it in a way that wasn't going to come out offensive to the poster. But this is the honest truth and I agree with it 100%.

ccmccoy09

Day before Thanksgiving/Christmas= Tough exercising/logging
Thanksgiving/Christmas= Some exercising/No logging
Day after Thanksgiving/Christmas = Back to normal

Basically the same thing here. I'm doing a 5k Thanksgiving morning and will probably go on a walk with my family Christmas morning. I'll be watching my food intake closely the days before and after Christmas, but will probably give myself a "break" regarding alcohol consumption around Christmas and on NYE.

I'm not trying to criticize your plan to enjoy your holiday, but you should probably know that for most people it only takes 3 days of consistent regressive behavior before bad habits become "normal" again, and some evidence shows it can take up to 3 weeks to get back to be "break" status. Anyone who has ever struggled with smoking addiction (or stopped working out while on vacation and then gone back to the gym) knows this well.

robinogue

For the next two weeks, I'm hitting it as hard as I can because I plan on enjoying myself for Thanksgiving. The Friday after it's business as usual because I need to get ready for Christmas

velarneyraptor

We don't have a Thanksgiving in Australia, so I don't need to worry about that. However, my birthday falls right around that period, so I'll just have to watch that I don't go too crazy on treats.

Christmas is going to be quiet this year as I'm working before and after and won't have time to go back home to see family. So I avoid the feeding frenzy there too. I'm not going to be as restrictive as normal on the carbs and let myself have around 100g. I think we will be having a small ham and a turkey breast roll and I'll forgo the white potatoes but roast up some turnip, pumpkin, sweet potato for myself and add some white potatoes for the bf. I'll have peas and carrots (our traditional veggie assortment) and maybe some beans and broccoli. I don't usually bother with gravy and I'll skip the stuffing this year. I don't like Christmas pudding either so that's the dessert crisis averted :P I'll probably have a few wines and beers, I think I'll let myself have 1500 cal limit max. Then the next day it's back to business as usual.

MaryAnn678

I may overindulge, but I am going to be honest about it and log everything. I don't understand the not logging it. Just because it's not logged doesn't mean it didn't happen.

I won't be overindulging and I will be logging honestly. Just because you don't log it doesn't mean it didn't happen, so I log everything. Also I am NOT TAKING THE HOLIDAYS OFF, I've got too far to go and I don't want to extend my final goal any longer than it already is. So exercise and counting calories is my choice, fun will have to be with family and family games in the evenings, with a diet soda or tea and whatever calories I've earned that day from exercising.

darrcn5

I will enjoy myself at any and all Christmas dinners or parties I attend, but I will be very leery over taking home any left overs! One meal isn't going to sabotage me, but taking 2-3 days worth of pie and cake will.

KayteeBear

i skip the stuff i can have anytime and enjoy those items that are only available on that holiday.

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That's why I tend to eat more during the holidays. This is food that I LOVE that I ONLY get to eat ONCE or twice a year. And I'm not going to not let myself eat those foods for the rest of my life. I'll be so unhappy if I have to give up my once a year delicious foods.

Then again I also don't go super crazy. I mean, my stomach is only so big (and it's actually fairly small....I really can't eat that much before feeling full). Usually I want to go back for seconds but can't because I feel so full and I'm not big on desserts so I usually only eat a bit for desserts and only if it looks super delicious. And I rarely ever end up going away from a holiday meal feeling like crap because I ate so much.

Yes, this is a life thing, but my life thing is NOT going to be giving up my favourite foods for the rest of my life. My plan is letting myself eat as much or whatever i want 4 or 5 times a year. I mean, come on, it's only a couple meals. But I guess it might be different because it's not like I eat enough to literally gain five pounds.

Kim55555

I once learned some great pointers on Holidays from a very smart Weight Watchers leader... Everyone says "It's the Holidays and i can't help myself during those days - they are so hard". She handed us a calendar showing a full year and told us to circle the actual holiday days, Jan 1, Turkey Day, Dec 25, Halloween, Valentines.... when we finished she asked us to add them up. We all said 5 days. She said that's right! The Holidays are only 5 days out of 365 days they don't go from Thanksgiving day until Valentines day and if you can behave on 360 then the Holidays should not be that hard. She said to treat the other 360 days as usual and on those 5 days, watch your portion control, exercise a bit more and track track track your food. She also said to choose wisely on holidays. If you can have those mashed potatoes and gravy ANY day, maybe skip them on that day and have a small piece of Gramma's pie you can only get when Gramma makes it for that Holiday. I find that on Holidays, i skip the stuff i can have anytime and enjoy those items that are only available on that holiday.
another suggestion she gave us was to sit down and write down what you plan to have on that holiday, you'll be surprised how many calories are in some of that food. even if you don't skip some of that food, i bet you take a smaller portion.
That's my 2-cents. Me personally, on Thanksgiving i'm going to my daughter-in-laws. She is a very health conscious person and her whole meal will totally fit into my diet that day. Christmas will be harder - but i'll pre-log to get an idea and then make good choices.
I'm not going to take the Holidays off - all 5 days of them - i will log and i will exercise, but i will be more conscious of what i'm eating, even if i do overindulge a bit.

I like this

* 5 days of the year
* eat a small amount - portion control
* track to keep accountable & exercise

I'm all for this, but just be careful not to blow it and go crazy through this period. You dont want to undo all your hard work and it is so easy to gain 10 pounds. So eat some foods but eat smaller portions, eat sensibly and exercise a bit more to balance it out! On the other hand if you have a food addiction/craving then maybe its a good idea to steer clear. Its like alcohol isn't it!

MrsSWW

OMG you opened a can of worms there MrsB2B!!!

I have managed to be off the entire Christmas-New Year week for the first time in 20 years so I WILL be eating a few treats! BUT you know me - everything will be logged and I will allow myself to be ridiculed and judged, vilified by my MPF friends :blushing:

On the other hand, I will be able to go for lovely long walks, spend as much time on the Wii as I like, hopefully get some dancing in to Just Dance 3, and I'll have the time to cook things properly and make GOOD food.... so I am hoping the two balance each other out nicely!

Futurefitnessinstructor

No break.

If this is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE to improve my overallwell-being, then I do not need a break from becoming the best "me".

I can enjoy my favourite foods of the season in moderation without overdoing it and sticking to my calorie plan. In truth, I have always felt crappy the day after I let myself down, so why go through that? To me, if I had decided to stop smoking as a healthy lifestyle choice, I would not take a "break" and smoke again over Christmas!

If this was a DIET, then I can understand the break. Diets require breaks....lifestyle changes require dedication.

PBJunky

No break.

If this is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE to improve my overallwell-being, then I do not need a break from becoming the best "me".

I can enjoy my favourite foods of the season in moderation without overdoing it and sticking to my calorie plan. In truth, I have always felt crappy the day after I let myself down, so why go through that? To me, if I had decided to stop smoking as a healthy lifestyle choice, I would not take a "break" and smoke again over Christmas!

If this was a DIET, then I can understand the break. Diets require breaks....lifestyle changes require dedication.

I want to pat you on the back for such an amazing mindset!!

Johnny_Castle

My routine is currently set in stone and if I miss one workout or one meal everything will get messed up...so no break

margo36

I will be cooking the usual Christmas Dinner and eating it. I intend to cook in a healthy way and watch my portion size. The dogs will be getting extra walks for their Xmas treat because I have more time. If I eat junk food it makes me feel ill quite quickly so it's just not worth it for me. My body doesn't tolerate junk food very well. Some of you may call that lucky LOL :happy:

Kslice39

nope im not taking any breaks. i planned on a lifestyle change not a diet and there are no "breaks" or "time off" in life. Im going thru with the promise i made to myself and im changing my life

Elizabeth_C34

The holidays are going to be really good for me. I love to cook, so I'm making dinner for 14 at my house, which involves a solid 3 days of cooking. I'm going to do the turkey and such, but working on compiling some new leaner recipes that still taste great.

lacroyx

the only break I will be doing during the holidays is breaking a sweat, alot. food wise I just do what I did last year, eat what I want, in moderation. I lost 12 lbs.

SunshineAndLove

Interesting points of view, I know that even if I have a week off I can get straight back on it and get myself back to where I was within a couple of weeks, so I will enjoy all my treats, including chocolate and alcohol but for the first time EVER I think I might go to the gym in between Christmas and New Year, at least that will get rid of the feelings of guilt! I might also switch to maintenance for the week.

You're right, there isn't any point in undoing all my hard work so maybe my mind set has changed and I'll just naturally be more careful.

I guess we'll see come 24th December!

mcninja77

Nope not taking a break over Christmas.
Still going to be working out and watching calories.
I don't want to go backwards. =]

Agree 1000%

Im taking this route for sure .. I've noticed I enjoy eating healthier and I feel better after I eat. Indulging makes me feel like crap. I may have a peice of pecan pie but portion control is where its at and I will not go over my daily calories

Sandy2658

I won't be taking a break over Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Year's. It's about planning ahead and eating sensibly. Will I have a taste of the cookie batter before it goes into the oven? Probably, but a taste...not the whole bowl. I have also started running again to still help me lose over the holidays. As of today I've lost 60 pounds...those are gone...I don't want to have to take them off again.
The holidays are about being with the people you love...it isn't all about the food.

nicehormones

Yes and no. Over Thanksgiving and Christmas, I am going to eat what I want. The only thing is, I am going to do so in moderation. The good thing is, I probably can't even eat close to what I was able to last year. I am having thanksgiving with a couple that is very very obese, so I probably won't go crazy because it scares me to imagine how the food is going to be prepared. I don't plan on losing any weight, hopefully just maintain if anything. Once the holidays are over, I will just keep doing what I'm doing. I am not planning on attempting to log everything those days, I think I might just throw in some quick calories or something.

rachelw16

I'm Canadian, so Thanksgiving is done, however I have two Christmas celebrations (one with my mom and her side of the family and one with my dad and his side of the family...divorced parents). Christmas is my most favourite day of the year and I'll be damned if I worry about calories on that day. I'm expecting a gain of a few pounds, but really? I have 363 other days to worry about that.

woou

I plan on logging in. If I see the numbers climb too much, I'm less likely to overindulge. I will be eating anything that I like though but will control how much.

chumeniuk

I took a break over my birthday weekend when family came in to town. Nothing bad happened and I found that even if I want to pig out, my stomach has shrunk to a point were I can't. I will enjoy both holidays, eat a nice meal for each and have dessert or cookies.

SecretlyBatwoman

Absolutely. I'd rather be 2 lbs heavier and 12 flavours of cookie happier.