FREAKING OUT!!

strohst

So I've been using MFP since July , been doing pretty good I've had my up's and downs .... ..... However now I'm just FREAKING OUT ! Dec 14 my brothers b-day ... Dec 19 my nephew's B-day , Dec 23 my cousin's B-day , Dec 25 My sister in law b-day , my son's 1st b-day AND CHRISTMAS! What the heck am I going to do????????? Plus I'm getting married March 23 !!! What can i do to help get through all of this ??

Stacy

BeachGurl815

Plan out your meals & get some serious workouts in. Enjoy a little but don't overindulge.

HealthyJenn0712

Don't deprive yourself. Workout a little longer each party day and don't overeat at the parties. Don't go to the birthday parties hungry;eat a fiber rich snack to fill you up. Don't let a few days ruin all your hard work. You can do it!!!

mandylooo

Remember what your goals are and what will make you happiest in the long run. Allow yourself some treats, but stick close to your target calories and maintain your exercise regime. And breathe.....................

zbmb30

Have enough to satisfy the craving. If you try and plan it into your calories, you can plan ahead and know what to have those days for other meals and how much exercise to get in.

RunHardBeStrong

Plan out your meals & get some serious workouts in. Enjoy a little but don't overindulge.

This! Life happens and you have to be able to adjust. I have the similar thing going on November, December and January are filled with b-days along with the holidays. I indulge but I don't overindulge, I work out a little more when I can and just roll with it. There's 9 other months out of the year that aren't as hectic and that's when I really buckle down! Good luck and Congrats on the wedding!

moosenbratsmommy

i fill up on water when i know i might overeat. when i go to parties, i carry my own larger bottle of water and sip on it constantly and when its empty i refill it!

and i agree with working out harder- up the resistance or incline- add five extra pounds or reps, ten extra minutes (or longer)- or ten extra minutes a day for the month to make up for any cake/candy you plan on having!

keep moving! unless its a dinner, keep your hips swaying, feet tapping, etc.

sbeisel1

Don't deprive yourself. Workout a little longer each party day and don't overeat at the parties. Don't go to the birthday parties hungry;eat a fiber rich snack to fill you up. Don't let a few days ruin all your hard work. You can do it!!!

Great advice! i would add some protien to the pre party snack or meal. eat a good breakfast that day too. I made it through 4 weekends of parties on both weekend days without any trouble. just because there are treats there doesnt mean you have to eat them. chew gum or take a big travel mug of tea or two, keep that in your hands and not the snacks. Stay strong and you will be fine. take a platter of veggies, meats and cheeses, its nice to do and it will ensure something you can munch on(in moderation) all in all its your choice, dont use the phrase "no thanks im on a diet" the pressure will start from those who love to sabotage, just say no thank you or take a small portion and eat it slowly or ditch it later when noone is looking. I always take a big 20oz tea and a tray of something I can have.

good luck

4theking

Do some calorie cycling and eat lighter on the days around the events you are attending.

SafireBleu

Do some calorie cycling and eat lighter on the days around the events you are attending.

This always works and get some extra workouts in to give you some extra calories to eat.

TrekkerCynthia

First of all, you are talking about 4 days, just 4 days. Don't let those 4 stress you so much that they ruin the rest of the year. If you have some idea of the kind of food that will be served then plan for it. Enter it in your diary and see what you'll have to do the rest of the day to fit in those foods. Next get in those workouts like the previous posters suggested. If you are proactive rather than reactive you will enjoy the end of the year SO much more :-).

IamBrande

Remember the 3 D's to this Journey...write it down, post it everywhere!!

Dedication
Discipline
Determination


YOU are in control of YOU. Plan ahead... during your life (every december apparently) You will face temptations........Remember that YOUR hard work, is WORTH the courage to resist the urge to over indulge.

All you can do , is keep those 3 D's close to your mind and your heart...eat in moderation, drink your water, and Keep on Track.

You can do it.......... One good choice, followed by another, and on and on and on....

Alwaysonadiet54

Focus on what you want! I have been to 3 holiday events this week and have breezed thru it. Basically I don't go anywhere hungry and I plan out my meals. I keep the nutrional menu for the restaurant in my purse when dining out. Be the first to order, don't be swayed by others. If it is a house event, bring something that you will enjoy but still staying withing your calorie range. I also try to limit my booze to 1 glass of wine cause if I don't I will get into trouble.

AddA2UDE

Have enough to satisfy the craving. If you try and plan it into your calories, you can plan ahead and know what to have those days for other meals and how much exercise to get in.

^^^THIS^^^ - For instance, everyone was eating pumpkin cheesecake this morning. I ate a 1/4 sliver of a piece. It was still good, I still got to eat it and I only used up 100 of my calories for the day. Life is GOOD!

Dtrmnd86

Keep your goals in mind at all times. Don't completely deprive yourself- it will make it worse. And, the one thing that has recently been helping me... when I have a moment when I want to throw calorie counting out the window and over eat or eat something completely unhealthy and calorie-filled, I take a moment to think of how I am going to feel afterwards. I know I'm going to feel overstuffed, gross and like a failure. And once I make a good decision, I feel much better. Take it one meal at a time. You can do this.

sarahjohnson08

Make a point to eat something before you attend these parties. That way you will be full and satisfied and less likely to eat something you will regret later!

bettina140

Here's what I have trained myself to do in these situations: just take ONE bite of something "bad", i.e. cake, brownie, whatever and and just take your time and enjoy that ONE bite. That way, you get to taste it, but it won't "hurt" you in terms of calories. If you think about it, that first bite is the one we really enjoy anyway so just make that the focal point.

Jorra

My mother died on Christmas three years ago. Appreciate the fact you have family to celebrate with. Don't ruin your time with them by worrying about something as silly as calories.

SLaw4215

GET MULITPLE PACKS OF DESSET GUM?????

On a serious note.... take every event 1 day... 1 event... 1 bite at a time. Don't lump sum it...because if you fail the first day you'll mentally allow yourself to toss in the towel. Maybe make it a personal goal to ONLY have birthday cake on you baby's 1st birthday and enjoy the hell out of that one regular size piece instead of torturing yourself and beating yourself up. After all.. the reality is...you could eat cake every single day if you really wanted cake.... so why make these events revolve around the cake and food that's not good for you.

lynnmarie60

exercise and eat in moderation. Don't deprive yourself though. If you want some cake, just eat half of what you'd usually eat, you'd have your craving plus feel good about not over doing it.

MrsCon40

So I've been using MFP since July , been doing pretty good I've had my up's and downs .... ..... However now I'm just FREAKING OUT ! Dec 14 my brothers b-day ... Dec 19 my nephew's B-day , Dec 23 my cousin's B-day , Dec 25 My sister in law b-day , my son's 1st b-day AND CHRISTMAS! What the heck am I going to do????????? Plus I'm getting married March 23 !!! What can i do to help get through all of this ??

Stacy

THIS????

This is life. You are not on a diet - you are learning to live your life in a calorically responsible way. Exercise a little more - arrange your meals to accomodate for eating with your family.

And be thankful that you have so much to celebrate.

nikip6454

I'm sorry if I am repeating.

I agree with eating lighter on th non-event days and adding exercise somewhere to cover the extra calories.

Another thing that helps me is bring a dish (or dishes) to pass that is in line with my cravings and is still healthy. For example, I love cheesy potatoes, if I make them, I can adjust for lighter sour cream, milk, etc. If my mom makes them, it's full fat everything and twice the butter for 'taste'! Or I bring snacks to pass-fruit or veggie tray, hummus, etc.

CaptainGordo

I would be more stressed about the expense involved in all of these birthdays around Christmas. :laugh:

1. Exercise, giving yourself that calorie "buffer", and then enjoy your time at the respective celebrations.

2. If you indulge a little more on a day, it's not a big deal. It will not "derail" you. See here for an example of this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/421458-oh-no-whoppers-part-2

3. Do not weigh yourself more frequently than once a week. If you are stressed, and weigh yourself daily or every two days, the normal weight fluctuations will only make your stress worse.

4. Remember that this is doable.

5. Enjoy your time with family. Remember that life is short, and that you are fortunate to be able to share these celebrations, when so many folks do not have the opportunity to do so.

Hellbent_Heidi

Xanex?? :laugh:

Seriously though...do you absolutely HAVE to go to every one of these birthdays (like the cousin or sister-in-law for example?), or can you make an excuse, send a gift, and skip a couple of them? Be sure to get in some good workouts those days, and remember, you don't have to eat cake at all of them (fitting into your wedding dress is an excuse everyone will understand)!
Hang in there!

bridebabe

Cutting calories at celebrations sucks! So I don't do it-- lol. I just bump the exercise-- I try to stay on the treadmill for an extra mile, or I try to go for a walk after I eat, which makes me feel better anyway. I also find that at parties, alcohol kills me with calories. So I just try to sip instead of slam (which is better for a lot of reasons!), and I try to rotate a water in every drink or two. You can get throught it!

I'm getting married this summer, so I feel your pain! March is really soon, but you can totally do it. You will look awesome.

kennethmgreen

I can understand freaking out. We've all been there. You just gotta breathe and do the best you can. You are not going to fail your diet/new lifestyle of healthy eating in one day, or even a few days. It just doesn't happen like that.

Already some good advice here. Exercise as much as you can to offset an increase in calories. Stay 200-300 calories under goal on non-event days so you have a "cushion" at the events. Plan things out. Allow yourself some treats, log them, do your best to stick to your calorie/macro goals. If you go over by a little, don't go crazy.

Make two important commitments:

1. Log everything
2. No compulsive choices

#2 is hard, but you can plan. If you know you are going to an event with a lot of delicious food, have a healthy snack before arriving, drink lots of water, and try not to get obsessive (easier said than done, I know).

For me, the most important thing is watching the compulsivity. If you want to eat a piece of cake, then decide you want to eat it, plan to log the calories and ENJOY it. Act with intention. Don't find yourself looking down at a plate of crumbs wondering "how did that happen?"

leoS8190

I have found that if I take a bite of something, and realize how good it is, [sugar cookies the other night] I want more. If I didnt have one, I wouldve been fine. They were right infront of my face. I now realize that if I do eat something I either need ALOT of self control which I dont have right now. Just think, the more calories you eat, the more you have to workout. Thats what I do, I dont like working out, so I try to eat good. I am new to MFP and It is really helping! I have it on my computer, phone, and my kindle! It puts things into perspective thats for sure! good luck!! you can do it! and think about your wedding! How good you want to look in your dress!!

lor007

Is this all you have going on in your life right now to stress out about? I am jealous.

seph_house

lots of good advice up there so i will just add my experience...

i'm at the point near my goals where the weight is more difficult to move in only fractions of lbs a week. I have found that the two blow out events i've had recently (work christmas party and a friend's weekend long house party) have actually helped, the next day i will have gained a couple of pounds but that disappears over a few days (water weight i assume) and a week later it's all gone plus another lb or just under. eating more, even the not so good party food helps me break mini-plateaus ))

also, although i enjoy the food/drink while i'm eating it, i very quickly feel full and the next day i can fell sluggish and horrible. This too goes away quickly (usually with application of enough sleep) but it helps me keep my will power up to keep on the straight and narrow the rest of the time.

it's not the parties that made us gain the weight, even when there are four in a month it's the chocolate in desk drawer and the packet of biscuits that i keep on going back to once they are open or the large pile of pasta at dinner.

jbpretty

Okay, that's 14 weeks away and you have 17 pounds to go...YOU GOT THIS! You just need to stick to your game plan. Keep your eye on the prize and remember EXACTLY why you're doing this. Remind yourself before you put that food in your mouth what you want more. I agree, deprivation will get us no where, but what do you want more? One treat won't put you over, but eating like it doesn't matter will. This is our life, and in life there will always be temptation so let's deal with it. (I will be practicing what I preach-LOL). Don't quit, don't give up, you can totally do this! Exercise will definitely help so let's not forget about that.

We got this. I have about the same to lose so I'm gonna need a kick in the butt too this month and I'm counting on you. Jamie

Usbornegal

For both Thanksgiving and my family's Christmas celebration I knew the menu ahead of time and entered it into MFP with approximate amounts so I knew how much I could have without going over on calories. Then I kept my portions to what I agreed on and it really worked! You might try something like that.