Staying on track through the holidays- help!

MrsBikiniBound

Hello all So- I started MFP about a week and a half ago and so far things are going great. A short background- I am on a medically supervised wellness plan (helpful for me because I have a history of disordered eating) where I am currently in phase 1 (low carb, high protein)- supplemented by B12/6 injections/nutritional supplements and phentermine (yes- i know how some people feel about phentermine this is only for phase 1).

I decided to start my weight loss right before the holidays so that I wouldn't over-indulge and gain during the holiday season and now I am thinking about how I am going to navigate the various parties and get-togethers full of foods that are not compatible with my current diet. There is no way that I can partake in all the alcohol and cookies that will certainly be present during my trip home next weekend- what are some things that you do to avoid the temptation?

Thanks and happy holidays!!

XxXWhitneyShereeXxX

Im pretty much in the same boat as you, I thought thanksgiving would kill me but I didn't gain ANYTHING. I just grabbed a small plate instead of a large and got a tiny scoop of the things I enjoyed the most and limited myself to one dessert, and considering my family made like ... 5 desserts I think I did pretty dam well. Just know your limits and don't over eat just because you can have small portions of your favorite holiday foods. I only visit one place on Christmas so that's only one meal I have to work with if your going to more than one place only eat like 1 or 2 things from each place maybe?

rosesigil

I plan what I'm going to allow myself to eat at the various functions and pre-log it into MFP. I figure that I probably will go over my calorie limit on Christmas, so I will bank them for one week prior--and exercise more--dance or rake leaves. And as for the medication---some of us need it. As long as we take it under the Drs. supervision it's really not for anyone else to decide what's best for your body. Eat less--exercise more! Burn it to earn it! (Can't think of any more cliches right now,! lol) :flowerforyou:

MrsBikiniBound

Im pretty much in the same boat as you, I thought thanksgiving would kill me but I didn't gain ANYTHING. I just grabbed a small plate instead of a large and got a tiny scoop of the things I enjoyed the most and limited myself to one dessert, and considering my family made like ... 5 desserts I think I did pretty dam well. Just know your limits and don't over eat just because you can have small portions of your favorite holiday foods. I only visit one place on Christmas so that's only one meal I have to work with if your going to more than one place only eat like 1 or 2 things from each place maybe?

Thanks for the advice and congrats on maintaining through thanksgiving!

I think the challenge for me personally is that a lot of holiday foods (cookies, mashed potatoes, alcohol, etc.) are things that just don't fit into the plan I am currently on... that being said once the plan progresses and i hit my goal weight I will be able to eat more things because I will learn control and have the ability to eat them responsibly.

MrsBikiniBound

I plan what I'm going to allow myself to eat at the various functions and pre-log it into MFP. I figure that I probably will go over my calorie limit on Christmas, so I will bank them for one week prior--and exercise more--dance or rake leaves. And as for the medication---some of us need it. As long as we take it under the Drs. supervision it's really not for anyone else to decide what's best for your body. Eat less--exercise more! Burn it to earn it! (Can't think of any more cliches right now,! lol) :flowerforyou:

Pre-logging is a great idea! Thanks

And everything that I am doing is under a Dr's supervision- that is how I know i am being healthy and giving my body what it needs! I will actually talk to her about what to do and some substitutes that wont put me off the course- and an extra zumba class would be a good way to burn off those extra cals.

TheLittleLebowski

Whenever I pre-log, I end up shamefully sneaking on to myfitness about 3am in the morning to add about 10,000 unhealthy more sweets as I went and binged during the evening. I'm weak on the holidays.

I'm basically going to prepare a lot of low calorie food and filling food such as fruit, veg, sugar free jelly etc to eat during socialising with the family and friends, It's not perfect and I end up drinking and eating more than I should, let's say a 500 or so surplus, which isn't perfect but it beats the 2,000 surplus I could have inhaled without any foresight.

Graelwyn75

Whenever I pre-log, I end up shamefully sneaking on to myfitness about 3am in the morning to add about 10,000 unhealthy more sweets as I went and binged during the evening. I'm weak on the holidays.

I'm basically going to prepare a lot of low calorie food and filling food such as fruit, veg, sugar free jelly etc to eat during socialising with the family and friends, It's not perfect and I end up drinking and eating more than I should, let's say a 500 or so surplus, which isn't perfect but it beats the 2,000 surplus I could have inhaled without any foresight.

Never works for me. I will take boiled eggs, carrots, greek yoghurt and fruit, but when faced with a cupboard full of mince pies, marzipan fruits, chocolates and christmas cake, all good intentions seem to fly out of the window.
I am dreading this xmas in truth, as I am above my usual 'happy' weight already from binge eating throughout October, lol.
I wish I had the answer myself. How to stick to just one mince pie, and one chocolate, and one small piece of cake, and not be triggered to eat more before bed.

samanthag1016

I've learned that I tend to eat a lot more when I go in really hungry - so I make sure to have a small healthy snack before any gathering so I don't justify eating everything just because I'm "starving." If I know what foods are going to be served, I also look up the calorie information in them, so I can't fool myself into thinking I'm eating less than I am.

The most important thing I've learned, though, is to limit the damage. Before, if I screwed up, I would just say, "oh I'll eat whatever I want because today is shot anyway." It's ok to screw up, but also to have a plan for what you'll do if it happens - enjoy what you ate and get back on track for the next meal!