Going Whole Hog for the Holidays?

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Years ago I did Atkins for ~2.5 years and stuck to it faithfully. I lost 60#s. Eventually I fell off the wagon and went back to eating a lot of carby crap and gradually regained 30#s.

I'm back to Atkins (in part because I have a busted wrist and cannot run or bike) and have dropped 12#s and a pant size since 12/3. I have mostly followed Induction phase to the letter -- with some wine and nuts, but still staying well under 30 net carbs. I have had NO Christmas goodies and am not even craving sweets.

That said, this time around I am allowing myself "off" days if it's a legitimate holiday AND I've been losing well. Easter, 4th, Halloween, Turkey day, Xmas, NYE. Not "whoohoo, it's the weekend" -- that's not a holiday. :laugh: :blushing:

It's not that I couldn't stick to my diet for these events, but I'm not going to be that PITA dieter who turns her nose up at everything and brings her own food. The situation would be different if I struggled to get back to my WOE after a day off, but that's not the case. I usually feel like such crap after a day of heavy carbs that I can't wait to get back to meat, cheese, salads, veggies, nuts and berries.

Do you do this, too? For me the key to any WOE being a successful WOE is not making it a prison sentence. And feeling like my WOE earns me that occasional celebratory treat with friends and family and not stressing about everything I put in my mouth and not being able to simply enjoy a holiday and a little variety 5% of the time when I behave myself the other 95%. Plus being able to drink beer a few times/year!!! :drinker:

Mokey41

I always figure if I'm good 90% of the time then I'm fine. I try not to go nuts and over eat on holidays or special occasions because I usually feel like crap if I eat too much but I don't restrict the types of foods I eat. I don't have a problem with falling off the wagon and continuing to eat crap the next day. I figure there are lots of days I'm extra good that probably make up for the days I'm bad!

Illona88

Just eat what everyone else is eating but less.
Use your common sense to see when you have had enough.

bubbleskiwi

I won't do "off days", I'll just have a bit of everything, but in moderation. and the key, for me, is to log everything.

horseplaypen

I'm giving myself Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to eat whatever I want, in whatever amount I want. The food our family traditionally eats those days is so high in calories that even if I ate in moderation, I'd probably be able to have three bites at each meal lol! So, I'll eat what I like, without making myself sick, and will log as much as I can remember. I also plan to go running if I have time and if weather permits, because I actually enjoy exercising so I have no reason to take a day off from that.

da1128

I won't do "off days", I'll just have a bit of everything, but in moderation. and the key, for me, is to log everything.

Exactly! I will eat that Christmas cookie and perhaps a piece of fudge! I will sip on some eggnog...and I will continue to run on the treadmill 40-60 minutes per day.

zoom2

I'm giving myself Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to eat whatever I want, in whatever amount I want. The food our family traditionally eats those days is so high in calories that even if I ate in moderation, I'd probably be able to have three bites at each meal lol! So, I'll eat what I like, without making myself sick, and will log as much as I can remember. I also plan to go running if I have time and if weather permits, because I actually enjoy exercising so I have no reason to take a day off from that.

This. Well, except for the running. Cannot wait to get this blasted cast off on 1/4 so that I can run, again. As soon as my wrist and hand are strong enough I will be biking, too, even if only on the trainer for a while.

robin52077

mmmmmm...whole hog......

zoom2

mmmmmm...whole hog......

Oh, I loves me a pig roast!!!