Holiday eating....

mcrowe1016

With one holiday down and more fast approaching, there have been lots of posts about who is planning on not logging/pigging out on those special days.

While I am all for cheat days (I have one or two a week, but don’t usually go over my maintenance) I feel like treating yourself on these special occasions goes against the lifestyle change that many people here are trying to achieve.

I feel that eating a lot of excess calories on special occasions is a way of “rewarding” oneself, and I feel that to truly make a lifestyle change, food should not be a reward. I feel like knowing that I could eat whatever I wanted on Christmas would make me look forward to it more. Isn’t it bad to look forward to certain days just because I can eat more?

Does anyone agree/disagree? I would love to get some other opinions about this.

UponThisRock

I think sticking to a "diet" to the point of missing out on social activities you enjoy and isolating oneself is far more harmful

slashkiss

I didn't log on Thanksgiving and I don't plan to log for Xmas but that is b/c I don't want to worry about stressing over it. That doesn't mean I didn't still make good choices. At Thanksgiving I just made 1 plate and did not go back for seconds. I avoided the mashed potatoes and choose the mashed cauliflower instead. I didn't have any pie but did have a small piece of cake but only 1 piece. Since I knew I was going to eat alot at lunch I just had a bowl of cereal for breakfast instead of the chorizo breakfast tacos that the rest of the family was having. I came out of my thanksgiving weekend trip still losing 1.5 pouds but it was nice not to stress about measuring the food and trying to calculate what was in it since I wasn't doing any of the cooking. I plan on doing the same thing for Xmas but will have to watch out for the all the cookies! For me this isn't a diet this is a lifestyle change but if I am going to continue with this new lifestyle of healthier eating I can't cut out all the good things completely and I think Holidays are the perfect time to enjoy those treats. I love cookies and the thought of never eating cookies again is just insane to me! But now I know about how many calories are in each cookie so instead of sitting there holding the jar of my grandmother's cookies and stuffing my face I will just take 1 or 2 on a plate and enjoy them!

Faintgreeneyes

For me, because this is a lifestyle not a diet- I do not restrict myself from eating things. If I want a piece of pie, and it fits into my cals, I eat it. While I try and make better food choices on most days of the week, I think that holiday's are times for us to enjoy with our friends and family, and not obsess over food.

Holidays are times when we eat things that we would not normally eat the other 364 days out of the year, so if you decided that week to make Christmas, or Thanksgiving a "cheat" day, then by all means, go for it. I think that its healthier to allow yourself to eat what you want (within reason) then to restrict yourself. Once you tell yourself you *cant* have something, you want it 10 times more, and are more likely to binge.

For the guys on here that are body building or bulking- yeah they are going to smash down 5,000 cals, and if they want to, that is their decision. I don't think we should be passing judgment on what others want to do. Everyone's journey on here is different. If one of my MFP friend wants to pig out on the holiday, then I say, go for it, without remorse. It's one day, one day will not ruin everything you've worked for.

inskydiamonds

I disagree wholeheartedly actually.

I do agree that this is a lifestyle change, but I don't feel that you need to alter your lifestyle so drastically as to deprive yourself of special events. That isn't practical and is more likely going to cause me at least to stop watching what I eat all together.

Cheat days and allowing myself sometimes to go over on calories has had two positive effects on my weight loss:

1. First there's a lot of talk that spiking calories occasionally is actually beneficial to weight loss. Don't ask me to explain how it works exactly, but some of the weeks where I had the biggest loss were the weeks where I went out to a big dinner and didn't look at the calories of what I was eating.

2. Food IS a reward. I mean, a lot of us are fat because we like food. MFP isn't going to make us like food any less, it's only going to help us regulate what food we're putting in our body when. But that regulation doesn't have to be so strict ALL the time, especially when someone isn't first starting out (which in that case, I would say it's probably best to get steady and comfortable first and see how you're body reacts and then figure out what's best). If I couldn't have eaten all I wanted at Thanksgiving, I would have been very disappointed. But even with Thanksgiving bloating, I still lost weight that week. If I can't eat a piece of cake after dinner tonight for my birthday, what's the point of even having a birthday?

Food is not the enemy and we shouldn't make it such. It's okay to like food and it's okay to indulge in food. It just has to be something controlled and not happen everyday. You very easily can have days where you go over your calories but still are in control.

kathylynn8

While I am all for cheat days (I have one or two a week, but don’t usually go over my maintenance) I feel like treating yourself on these special occasions goes against the lifestyle change that many people here are trying to achieve.

I totally agree with that. When we sat down for Thanksgiving dinner, I had no desire to over-stuff myself like I have done in the past. I had a very small portion of all my favorites and was able to stay under my calorie goal. And I made a low cal/fat dessert that I could enjoy a small piece of. It felt good, especially while everyone was complaining about feeling so stuffed!

AI1108

holiday culture & kicking back/relaxing from the daily grind with my loved ones (most of whom actually don't care what my abs look like) are part of a lifestyle.. mine at least.

cramernh

.... for my situation, I need to stay on program which is advised under the guidance of several doctors and specialists who are working with me.

Holidays are nothing - its just another day where meals are planned ahead and that works very well for me.

I dont miss any social activities whatsoever - if a person wants to participate, that would mean they would need to focus on staying-on-program for theirself. Im about to go to my husband's company Christmas party and the facility where we are dining is planning a five course dinner and they were WONDERFUL to tell me ahead of time what they are preparing and they will gladly accomodate my doctor-ordered dietary restrictions. They actually said it would be very easy to do because there is someone else who is in a very similar predicament.

With the great advise and guidance from my Endo, Thanksgiving was a success staying on program AND maintaining (no gain, no loss).

mcrowe1016

I think sticking to a "diet" to the point of missing out on social activities you enjoy and isolating oneself is far more harmful

I completly agree with everything you said. I ate close to 3000 calories on thanksgiving (and worked out hard) and spent quality time with family and friends.

My point is that why does eating a lot and enjoying yourself have to go together? Why is there a mentality that in order to enjoy the holiday, I should eat a lot? I believe that this mentality goes against a lifestyle change. Does that make sense or am I talking out of my *kitten*?

JimieLou

I have been on this journey for almost a year now.....I don't deprive myself of anything because that will just make me want it more and I'm just setting myself up for failure...I work out pretty much every day and really watch closely to what I eat. Two weeks prior to Thanksgiving, I kicked it up a couple notches because I knew I didn't want to majorly binge and gain 5 pounds....So, when "the big day" came. I chose carefully what to eat, passing on the dinner roll but enjoying my mashed potatoes and a piece of pie.....and ya know what...I actually lost a pound that week.

I'm keeping my workouts kicked up the entire month of December because I'm going to do the same thing on Christmas. My family has the Christmas Eve Danish tradition of making ebelskeivers (pancake balls) and I'm going to enjoy the hell out of them. And the next day I'm going to have Christmas dinner too.....Not planning on losing, but I'm sure not going to gain.

Once again, I don't believe in giving up on tradition or depriving oneself...You'll only set yourself up for failure further down the road.

UponThisRock

My point is that why does eating a lot and enjoying yourself have to go together? Why is there a mentality that in order to enjoy the holiday, I should eat a lot? I believe that this mentality goes against a lifestyle change. Does that make sense or am I talking out of my *kitten*?

Eating a lot and enjoying yourself don't have to go together.

On the other hand, I enjoy eating a lot and I'm not ashamed of it. I eat massive quantities of food on thanksgiving, and enjoy every minute of it. But this doesn't mean I haven't made a lifestyle change, it just means that I've learned to control myself and keep things in moderation, while maintaining the realistic perspective that overeating a few days out of the year isn't going to make a dime's worth of difference in my fitness goals.

chickybuns

I will continue logging. I did over Thanksgiving, and went over a little a few days, but it's much better than I would have if I didn't log. I've learned the goal is taking responsibility for what I put in my mouth.

lelliebugh

During the holidays I eat what I want and watch portion control. I am not going to deprive myself of something I want. I just make sure not to over do it. I also workout a little extra everyday before and after. I also wait a few days before I weigh myself. Holidays are for enjoying your family and friends. Not stressing over food. That is what my opinion is. l wont log, but I will be aware of myself.

AwesomelyAmber

I think the hardest thing is knowing the difference between 'treating one's self' and 'gorging like an animal':blushing: ... I'm still trying to figure the difference out for myself! Your body keeps an accurate account of what you put in your mouth no matter what you write down...

RunningRachel2012

Pretty much all of my really skinny friends look forward to eating loads at Christmas, I think it is just part of the season and it is not something you should feel ashamed about as it is natural for us to enjoy the sensations of special foods. Food is a pleasure, and it is sometimes nice just to let go with your friends and family to enjoy seasonal treats. Enjoy your food this Christmas, but just don't label it as cheating; food is not something to be afraid of. Sometimes it is just nice to eat 2 mince pies in one sitting with lashings of cream!!! Do your best, and I'm sure if you keep it only on Christmas day you will gain a pound at the most! Merry Christmas (I can say it now, it's already December!) :flowerforyou:

RunningRachel2012

I also plan to do a 7 mile jog with my Dad, who I haven't spent time with properly since the middle of September as I have been away at uni. We bond over our love of running AND our love of food. Another reason I'm going running is that I am getting new running shoes as my Christmas present, I have run over 500 miles in my current ones, and I need to wear my new pair in before my next half marathon in February! xxx

kitinboots

I only have Christmas dinner to be prepared for, and I will be dining at a private party at my local bar, which means one big plate of food, no dessert but lots of drinks. For one day I don't mind exceeding my calories.