Holidays & Food

tsherm3850
tsherm3850 Posts: 353 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone have a plan for Thanksgiving and the weeks after through Christmas? I mean a plan to control your eating? With the abundance of parties, food and sweets, my coworker and I are afraid it'll be a downward spiral. I have family members that don't eat healthy. I'm very afraid that I'll just "going with the flow." I want to avoid that trap. What has worked for you?
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Replies

  • IronDame
    IronDame Posts: 275
    Nope I'm eating whatever I want. A few days of eating amazing fatty foods isn't going to kill me.
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    Nope I'm eating whatever I want. A few days of eating amazing fatty foods isn't going to kill me.

    EXACTLY!! No one gained their weight by eating a bit more than they should for only a few days.....
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Enjoy in moderation.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    I going to eat dessert first this year.
  • oOMusicBabii
    oOMusicBabii Posts: 494
    Do my best to enjoy in moderation.
  • aryehn
    aryehn Posts: 4 Member
    I also think you can enjoy your food :) keep an eye on the portions and maybe try to increase your physical activities...more walks or everything else!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Pretty much every day I have some kind of treat, so the urge to over indulge during the holidays really isn't there. At parties where there is more of a buffet service I will take tiny portions of everything I want to try and if I am still hungry I might go back for a little more of one or two of my favorite things. Same thing at a big family style meal. No need to load up the plate with everything. Take a normal portion of meat, lots of veggies and tiny bits of the other stuff!
  • pohlcm08
    pohlcm08 Posts: 61
    I'm going to let myself splurge on the day of Thanksgiving and the day of Christmas and Christmas eve when I have family get togethers. As long as we stick with our plans on the days before and after the actual holiday, we will be ok. I also plan on doing a little extra working out the mornings of those days to cancel out a few more of the calories I know I will consume. I don't know about everyone else's family, but mine would be insulted if I didn't eat the meals they prepared to share with me and I guess I would be too if I were them. Happy Holidays!
  • maryjay52
    maryjay52 Posts: 557 Member
    set yourself up for success with all of that..if im going somewhere i know i want to eat what is there then i work out a little bit extra, cut back from my other meals and drink a ton of water, eat something before i go.. i dont gorge that way and still get to enjoy some of the good stuff
  • killingtheantagonist
    killingtheantagonist Posts: 178 Member
    Well since it comes around only once a year, why not live a little.
    You're with family having great food, eat up.
    These few days won't destroy everything.
  • MagicalLeopleurodon
    MagicalLeopleurodon Posts: 623 Member
    I only get pie twice a year-i eat my holiday staples. however, junk like gravy and mashed potatoes? i get those year round, why waste the calories?
  • TheArmadillo
    TheArmadillo Posts: 299 Member
    Xmas day I am in charge of the food (doing all the cooking) and while lunch will be all out, breakfast is usually very light or non-existant, and dinner is just pudding that we never manage at lunchtime. Starter will be smoked salmon, salad and a small amount of salad dressing. So once you look as a whole day it shouldn't be too bad. It helps that my husband and kids aren't huge eaters so food has to be well spaced.

    The party season aspect is harder as it isn't just one day, but generally
    1) know when you're going out and eat lightly the rest of the day. Lots of light soups and salads to fit in your fruit and veg as well.
    2) fit in as much exercise as you can
    3) enjoy yourself but don't eat till you're sick.

    Don't break into those boxes of chocolates or biscuits/cookies or if you can't resist completely allow yourself one box for the whole festive period. If you get given them put them away to regift.

    I'm in the UK so don't have thanksgiving put presume the same kind of things apply :bigsmile:
  • kbanzhaf
    kbanzhaf Posts: 601 Member
    Hi,
    Make a "game plan" before you celebrate. If you know you are going to be attending a party in the evening, maybe try to eat "lighter" during the day. Plan some extra exercise time in -- even if it means getting up 30-60 minutes earlier. Burn those calories before you eat them! :-) Nosh on the celery and carrot sticks at a buffet (sans Ranch....lol) before you fill your plate with other stuff.

    For the actual holiday, I try to eat as healthy as I can.....lean meats, veggies, try to stay away the gravy, etc. But HONESTLY, it's one day....enjoy yourself!!!!!
    Kaye
  • skinnyforhi
    skinnyforhi Posts: 340 Member
    I plan to eat healthy during the day on the holidays (no saving calories so I don't go crazy when I see dinner!) and then eat what I want in moderation on the 3 big dinners that my family has over the holidays--Christmas Eve, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. If I'm invited to other parties in December, I will also eat in moderation. I'll try to limit grazing during the cocktail hour and instead focus on the real food that comes out at dinner--if I go over, so be it, as long as I'm not stuffed or mindlessly trying to clean my plate.

    I'm going to skip the treats at the office altogether. If there are office parties, I'll bring a travel mug of my favorite tea and just enjoy the company. Usually the food isn't worth the calories at these things!

    Finally, I'm going to stick to my exercise plan, no excuses. If I can't get a workout in on the holiday, I'll do an extra one during the week on one of my rest days.

    So this is my plan--now it's just a matter of following through!
  • erinnstreeter
    erinnstreeter Posts: 82 Member
    For me, Thanksgiving tends to be the most difficult of the holidays. I'm prepping this year by increasing my exercise in the weeks beforehand; I figure, if I can make my system "run hot" for several days before the indulgence, I'll be able to enjoy the meal(s) along with everyone else without worrying.

    I recently went on a Disney vacation, and I was able to test this theory. My Fitbit tracked over 26,000 steps and over 11 miles of walking, and I ate as I pleased; I was up 2.5 lbs when I got home, and it turned out to be all water weight, which I shed over a three day period of normal eating and activity.

    This is the first Thanksgiving in a while that I'm actually looking forward to!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    I didn't get fat by eating too much on Thanksgiving or Christmas....or any other holiday for that matter. I got fat by eating too much every day of the year.

    So, one day of slight over indulgence won't hurt.

    That said, I plan to get in a workout that day - mostly because I will need the endorphins when dealing with my extended family the rest of the day :laugh:

    Then, at every meal, I'm going to take a little bit of everything I want to eat. If I finish that and still want more of something, I'll have a little more. No big deal.
  • lasmit4477
    lasmit4477 Posts: 308 Member
    I going to eat dessert first this year.

    Me too!!!!
  • weloveourboys
    weloveourboys Posts: 133 Member
    I rarely gain weight over the holidays. I hate that stuffed feeling, so I generally try to stop eating when I feel full, whether that is healthy or unhealthy food. My weakness is wine/champagne and vodka. But since I will continue to train over the holidays, I just have to remember how sh*tty I'll feel if I wake up with a hangover.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Nope I'm eating whatever I want. A few days of eating amazing fatty foods isn't going to kill me.

    EXACTLY!! No one gained their weight by eating a bit more than they should for only a few days.....


    ^^^All of the above! I can't wait to indulge! I work hard all year round...a handful of days indulging is not going to hurt!
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Plan on making it a couple of bad days not a couple of bad months.
  • Cindy393
    Cindy393 Posts: 268 Member
    I didn't get fat by eating too much on Thanksgiving or Christmas....or any other holiday for that matter. I got fat by eating too much every day of the year.

    THIS says alot!
  • cassavaca
    cassavaca Posts: 89 Member
    If you attend somewhere that wouldnt mind you bringing a dish, bring something that would compliment what you would like to eat.

    In my case, i bring a giant bowl of salad with tons of different types of healthy veges. That way, i eat my salad (and i KNOW that will be there since I brought it) and top with turkey and if there are other things that are good, eat those as well.

    Sometimes you can tell yourself you will have one bite, but that will tease your palette. Out of sight out of mind works for me as well. Converse in another part of the room, away from the food. or if you are at a house, offer to help clean up or organize to keep your hands busy.
  • JennC831
    JennC831 Posts: 628 Member
    I'm planning on keeping up with my workouts and keeping my deficit lower than usual from now until Thanksgiving so that I can enjoy that day by eating a little bit of everything and not feel guilty... After Thanksgiving, I'll get back into my routine and keep it up until Christmas... Then do the same thing for that day :wink:
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    I just eat unhealthy stuff on THE holiday and I LOVE it. Looking forward to it gets me through all of the parties before said holiday and I do fine. Any unhealthy leftovers go to my kids' homes or in the trash. For other get-togethers, parties, I take healthy stuff with me, stash some almonds or something in my purse, I eat before I go and make sure I have plenty to drink. I also make sure that I have exercised enough to have plenty of exercise calories, just in case I become weak. lol No gaining weight, no bloating and no regrets.
  • playitagainsam
    playitagainsam Posts: 84 Member
    My plan is to not go overboard just because it's the holiday, but I am going to try to stay within 2000 calories that day. Plus, I'm doing a 5K Thanksgiving morning, so that gets my workout in for the day.
  • jacquelyn_erika
    jacquelyn_erika Posts: 524 Member
    I am going to enjoy whatever I want. Fortunately there are staples that I like on thanksgiving that might not be at the table this year. I don't think my grandma is making green bean casserole and I can eat my weight in that, so that's one less thing I will be indulging in. However, I can't say the same for any desserts that will be around. Mmm, pumpkin pie... and word on the street is there might be pecan pie, too. I work my tail off everyday, I am going to enjoy this.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I eat whatever I want in small quantities. I take big helpings of things like veggies and turkey and small helpings of things like dessert and mashed potatoes. I also carefully watch butter and skip rolls and bread.

    I put lots of small munchies on holiday tables like stuffed celery and carrots and radishes that I can munch a lot of to keep me from reaching for that second helping of mashed potatoes.

    Traditional holiday food isn't that bad if you're light on desserts and butter and heavy on meat and veggies.
  • MrsPong
    MrsPong Posts: 580 Member
    Thanksgiving will be at my house, with just my little family (hubby, me and our 4 yr old) So I'll be able to control what I eat better....

    Xmas I won't be worried about food intake.. We're going home for the holiday and I havent seen family/friends since Aug.
  • andreamelo1
    andreamelo1 Posts: 161 Member
    I only get pie twice a year-i eat my holiday staples. however, junk like gravy and mashed potatoes? i get those year round, why waste the calories?
    this ^^^^
  • chunkiedunker
    chunkiedunker Posts: 144 Member
    Nope I'm eating whatever I want. A few days of eating amazing fatty foods isn't going to kill me.

    this statement is exactly true. it took you years to put the weight on, a couple days of eating or splurging isn't going to be the death of you. now i in no way think this is a eat 8 plates for thanksgiving, but enjoy the great food and be thankful for it. then bust your butt the following couple days to burn it off. this is the time of the year that you get to enjoy. Try eating what you want to eat, just eat small portions of it. also eat slower so you dont get as tempted to eat as much. but enjoy and eat all the stuff you want.

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