holiday eating help me plzz

PatasDeGallina

See, this is where I feel really lucky/guilty for being vegan and lactose intolerant. Keeps me from eating a lot of crap.

ANYTHING that has a little milk in it (and this includes 99.99% of all baked goods) will send me to the floor with a tummy ache. Beyond that everything else is made with meat or some kinda of meat broth.

I only eat what I bring. Sometimes someone will go out of their way to make me something milk free. I'll have one small piece.

Here's one idea... track before you eat. Look around at gatherings, figure out what you're going to eat, track it, eat it. Then walk away.

The point of holidays are not to gain weight. They have to do with family or beliefs or something. (I'm Buddhist, so I just tag along with my family's celebrating. LOL.)

But here's a piece of advice I gave my mother-in-law a few years ago, "the birth of the baby Jesus is no reason to gain 15 pounds." I think it has helped her a few times.

All I know is that I don't want my New Years resolutions to have anything to do with losing weight. For once.

Good luck out there, you guys. I'm pulling for you. I know it's hard and there is a ton of temptation and people who think food=love.

Hotrodhoodlum

There is noting wrong with 1 cheat day in moderation you probably deserve it .At least I am this way it cures a craving Like I am making my Home made Mac and Cheese I will have some on Christmas eve. I am also making home egg rolls I will have one with out a doubt .. But I will save calories during the day and eat just high protein . Protein high in calories is fine for me its the carbs and sugar that kill you ...

Good luck hope this helps

kylexii

This is a lifestyle change. Learning to accept that there will be days when you'll want to thoroughly enjoy food and not over analyze what you're eating is part of the journey.

I used to freak out at the mere thought of a birthday or holiday. The food. The desserts. Not everyone eats the way I do and boy did it freak me out. I learned to set aside the panic, take small servings of the foods I love the most and most of all? Enjoy the day. Holidays are days to enjoy life, celebrate family and not worry and fret yourself into a panic attack.

So. Look over the food at the get togethers, evaluate what there is, decide what you REALLY want to eat, get small portions of it and enjoy. If you go over your calories, it is only ONE DAY out of the year. No worries. No guilt. Nothing. Enjoy it.

Remember to drink water - your body will likely retain some water from consuming foods it isn't used to having. And remember... it takes 3500 calories over your maintenance (not your deficit calories, but maintenance) calories to gain a true pound.

This. Completely sums up my view. Well Said,

alapoint89

It doesn't take much 15-20 min and recipes are really easy :P You might change your mind lol

By moderating them This is how I do.
Check out my cooking site:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooking-ideasHomemade-Healthy-Foods/179121125503371

im not cooking but inlaws are

no i actually have litterally no choice!!! and she makes so much food that makes me so hungry i just wanna eat and eat and eat

stevwil41

I've come to the conclusion that I have absolutely no self control with all of this holiday food around. I've sort of given up. It'll be over in 3 days, I'm still exercising and eating healthier but things like peanut butter fudge and Christmas cookies are evil. I'm not going to beat myself up but on the morning of the 26th any of that crap floating around is going in the trash.

alapoint89

I've come to the conclusion that I have absolutely no self control with all of this holiday food around. I've sort of given up. It'll be over in 3 days, I'm still exercising and eating healthier but things like peanut butter fudge and Christmas cookies are evil. I'm not going to beat myself up but on the morning of the 26th any of that crap floating around is going in the trash.

when i eat what i want to i feel as tho im going to get addicted to the food because i have fully cut myself from bad foods like forever ago and i really and scared i may fall back into that state of no control of what i can and cant eat

dmpizza

Partake in all courses, but only a little and most all, remember that Christmas Eve is one day, Christmas is another, and after that it doesn't matter very much.

Purpleflipflops

I lowed my weight loss goal from 2 lbs a week to 1. It is a lot easier to fit in to these ranges, and I normally only eat 1300-1500 anyway. I actually eat better with the wiggle room, since I'm not stressing.

heaverchell

I am having a small amount of whatever I want. I try to plan ahead--if I am going to someone's house I try to find out what is all going to be there so I can try to verify all the calories and if it looks like I may go over try to add a little exercise to count for it. I don't like to deny myself of anything because if I do I will end up overeating bad.

So just try to plan ahead...drink a glass of water before each meal and just tell youself you can have one (like one piece of pie) and don't beat yourself up.

mareowner

On my way to my relative's house, I down an apple (or two), banana and a soda. Then I don't have any room for much else!

Want2BRunner

I think this must be on the minds of all MFPers now!!!xx

You can say that again!!

wish21

As for me I won't be logging that day. If my headaches stop by then I will try to exercise. But if I don't get around to it no big deal. In fact I won't beat myself up over if I don't get one in sunday either. Family will be over and it will be very hard to steal away and go in my room to workout. So here's my plan I can eat whatever I want, but only taking a spoon full of what I want. I am allowed ONE can of soda and then the rest of the day will be water. Two desserts and thts it. A trick I've learned is to stop when you get full. We all feel when are bodies are getting full, so just stop at that point. Our bodies tell us when its full but its up to us to listen! Enjoy your day and your family:flowerforyou:

Helenatrandom

Just do your best, and forgive yourself the rest. I don't recommend telling people encouraging you to "take some.." that you can't because you are trying to lose weight and can't have it. From what I've read around the boards, some people will argue with you. Maybe "Not right now, thanks..."
I'm having dinner at home, and dessert with my husband's family. I intend on eating a dessert, but not a little of everything... (If I was going for dinner, I would be inclined to have a little of everything I liked at dinner.)
Good luck to you.

chazbo35

Just eat a bit lighter on the days surrounding then relax a little bit on the day you know your going to be eating the goodies. Try going maybe 500-600 cals below the day before and after, then perhaps on the day of, try to stay within 800 or so above your daily cal limit. If you do that, your still ahead a couple of hundred for the week. Pretty much like the zig zagging method. If we can learn to handle it all without freaking out about it, we would all be a bit better off. Dont freak out! Remember the old saying, everything in moderation. Yeah, Im sure we would all love to eat till we feel like we're going to give birth lol. Its just not worth all of the added aggrevation and pressure you put on yourself. I like to get in a workout the morning of If I can. Get some water in me and just enjoy the day Good luck!

Cold_Steel

I will probably get hazed for saying what I am about to say but honestly it is your journey and they are your decisions. You are living your life and the decisions that you make reflect your results.

Personally I do not partake in so called cheat days. I view this type of thing as a challenge. A challenge too not eat the cookies, candies etc. if I do, I hold myself accountable and log them.

My wife made her killer soft sugar cookies, her chocolate peppermint bark, her melting cookies and I had a half of an unfrosted sugar cookie yesterday, a melt away cookie today, and a piece of chocolate bark about the size of a penny. Was I satisfied, yes.

How can I be satisfied with such small morsels of this stuff.

I would say its about 75% guilt but I can also say it was a little bit of help from the detox phase I did when I started this nearly 6 months ago.

The first week I started this journey I ate nothing but salad with no dressing, grilled chicken, apples, bananas, brocoli, carrots, etc for 7 days. It taught me an invaluable trait and phrase that I do try to live by; you must eat to live, not live to eat.

I realized much later while yes I would crave something, getting the flavor is what I craved and once I got the taste of it I was happy. So instead of a whole box of ice cream it was a half cup, instead of a bag of candy it was one piece. Still enjoyed it but I eliminated the eating it simply because it tasted good and I enjoyed the ritual of oral satisfaction.

There seems to be a lot of fear about the holidays but their are a lot of simple tips you can follow to avoid failing at your goals.

1. Pot Luck Social Eating- Big problem during the holidays, our society places a heavy value on these types of social interactions and this seems to be one of the most feared social eating activities. Here is the simplified way of beating it. You bring something healthy lots of it. You load up on that and you select SMALL pieces or sections of others food so as not to offend the other people and not to be labeled as that "dieter". Do not graze, do not treat it like a all you can eat. Get one plate of a very small portion and try it all. Thank the people that made it and comment on their flavors. That is all people want to hear, gratification! Even if it is just a bite!

2. Dinner Parties / Luncheons - Simple - if you have a menu order healthy, if you do not have a menu - control your portions, and select the lowest calories, you do not need to make excuses for yourself.

3. Holiday Cookies / Candies / Gifts etc- They are every where, you get them for gifts you give them for gifts. Take them with gratitude and then pawn them off to someone else and or try a piece of it then dispose of them, make sure you comment on how damned good it was.

If people make comments about "oh you are on a diet or oh you should try this or try that" simply be honest with them. I know there is a fine line between being someone that is trying to make healthier choices and being a FOOD NAZI. It is hard, but with a little practice and experience you will find yourself cracking jokes or simply finding ways to appease people and at the same time being honest with yourself.

This is stuff I do, but every one has their own path. Personally I have to be the way I am, I had a serious over eating problem and if I do not go at it 100% I know I will just fall back on making dumb excuses and continue down the path of lethargy and gluttony.

fuzzimama

I LOVE Christmas baking, it is part of our traditions, the magic and there's no way I'm forgoing it just because I'm on MFP.

However, I am an expert in super small portions, and I have added all my recipes and I log and account for every bite. Generally each day I manage a mini fruit mince pie (which first appear on the day we put up our Christmas tree, served fresh from the oven with icing sugar), and usually a piece of delicious, but wafer thin, Christmas loaf. So far, I have stayed under my calorie total every day, and many days I have had a chocolate or two as well.

I am having to exercise every day for these treats, and making sure that the rest of what I eat is very nutritious to balance out the discretionary stuff.

I'm loving that I can continue to have my normal treats, but I'm getting a real idea of just how much of those things I should be having. So one or an absolutely maximum of two very small fruit mince pies a day as long as I've been for a run.

It's better for me to still have those things, otherwise it would all just seem too hard. I've had to think carefully about food when I'm out and have avoided crisps, breads, sausages etc. at BBQs and opted for lots of salad, prawn kebabs and a tiny portion of dessert instead. That's working for me too. I'm determined that Christmas Day is the only day that I'm not going to count calories, and every other day is a 'rest of my life' version of what Christmas will look like (same yummy stuff, just in much more moderate serving sizes).

meex

i plan on everytime i want to put something in my mouth to put it in a bowl and then at the end of the night or halfway through i can look at it and decide how much i want to eat, so im still having treats but not in excess. Plus im going to log EVERYTHING so i know how much i have eaten. At dinner i plan on filling up on veggies and turkey and keeping desert to a minimum. We only get christmas once a yr but i don't want one day to undo around 2 weeks of work