Handling the Holidays

KL_24
KL_24 Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone..with Thanksgiving coming up soon and then followed by Christmas and everything else..I was curious how everyone is going to handle their calorie intake? Friends and family have been telling me not to worry about it for that actual day because the holidays only do come once a year but I figured I'd get some more opinions on people who are trying to get in shape like me. Anyone have a good plan?

On a different note, I am a 19 year old college athlete and I'd love some friends on here that are similar to myself!

Replies

  • risenonlytofall
    risenonlytofall Posts: 74
    I treat them like normal dinners. I pick three things and a dessert that I enjoy and have a single serving of each of them. Just because there is more food on the table doesn't mean I have to eat more. (It's not like it's going to go to waste.) The food might be a bit more calorie rich than usual, but this stops me from going too far over my goals.
  • KL_24
    KL_24 Posts: 28 Member
    I'm going to have a lot of self control for that one hahaha it'll be hard to pick just one dessert thats for sure..thanks for the advice!
  • risenonlytofall
    risenonlytofall Posts: 74
    Don't be bummed if you mess up. I usually do when confronted with my mom's cheesecake. ;) But then I'll get up the next day and do my workout and try to make better choices. The hardest part is not using one "bad" day or meal as an excuse.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    I enjoy, eat and drink whatever I want and I don't log. IT'S THREE DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR. It's what you do with the other 362 that matter!
  • lwoods34
    lwoods34 Posts: 302 Member
    I am much older than you but started my weight loss journey when I was 19-20. I handle holidays just like its any other day. I wake up early and do my workouts as I would on any other normal day...I plan on eating the same breakfast as I do on any other normal day and when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner I plan on eating the same way I would normally eat...a forkful here, a spoonful there...make sure I get in my veggies and protein....yes I will have 1 piece of cranberry sauce but I will only have 1/2 a sweet potato because my mother in law smothers it with maple syrup! lol. I will fill up on water so Im not as hungry and I will call it a day! I plan on still logging everything I eat but will have to estimate how many calories it was so I will estimate high.....

    And I dont plan on being the one at the dinner table to unbutton my pants because I wont need to because I dont plan on stuffing my face til I feel like Im going to puke like everyone else plans on doing! especially since Thanksgiving is on a Thursday and my weigh in day is Sunday! That of course is motivation for me not to go overboard.
  • KL_24
    KL_24 Posts: 28 Member
    Great thanks everyone! Love all the advice and support from everyone on here rather than hearing the same old stuff from my family hahaha. Also, does everyone plan on still tracking everything they eat on Thanksgiving (or any holiday)? Sometimes when I know I am going overboard I tend not to bother logging it in which I know probably isnt the best idea
  • lwoods34
    lwoods34 Posts: 302 Member
    I still plan on tracking everything I eat on Thanksgiving Day. Of course for Thanksgiving Dinner I will have to estimate how many calories I ate so I will add it as "Quick Add Calories" and overestimate how many calories it was and then in my food notes section I will write exactly what I ate: ie. sweet potato, turkey, salad, etc.
  • KL_24
    KL_24 Posts: 28 Member
    cool cool im gonna try to force myself to log in what i eat bc then i know i wont go completely overboard!
  • KL_24
    KL_24 Posts: 28 Member
    Christmas is coming and I don't know about anyone else but I love to bake for the holidays whether its cookies or any type of dessert! Any suggestions on how to get through these holidays? I still want to make desserts and whatnot but i want to make sure i dont eat them all so I need some willpower!
  • kdt000
    kdt000 Posts: 27 Member
    I enjoy, eat and drink whatever I want and I don't log. IT'S THREE DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR. It's what you do with the other 362 that matter!

    Agreed!
  • Ejourneys
    Ejourneys Posts: 1,603 Member
    Christmas is coming and I don't know about anyone else but I love to bake for the holidays whether its cookies or any type of dessert! Any suggestions on how to get through these holidays? I still want to make desserts and whatnot but i want to make sure i don't eat them all so I need some willpower!

    Have healthy substitutions that you love readily available to grab. My "sweets" these days are bananas, grapes, and oranges.
  • KL_24
    KL_24 Posts: 28 Member
    Great idea. And indulging in a cookie or two isnt too bad right? Just dont go overboard?
  • popzork
    popzork Posts: 78 Member
    My biggest challenge is the cravings the "cookie or two" triggers. Once I start, I find it very very hard to stop at that. It's something I'm going to work on this year.
  • jr1985
    jr1985 Posts: 1,033 Member
    I enjoy, eat and drink whatever I want and I don't log. IT'S THREE DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR. It's what you do with the other 362 that matter!

    Agreed... I eat whatever I want on holidays... but try to only make enough for THAT DAY and not have a ton of left overs... I also try to limit myself to 1 plate... even if I really want 2... but I put whatever on that plate that I feel like.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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  • Cranktastic
    Cranktastic Posts: 1,517 Member
    FOUR! 4 threads about holiday food! AH HAHAHA HAAAAAAA!
  • harvo
    harvo Posts: 4,676 Member
    I went/will go hog wild and pig crazy. I almost died in 2005. I enjoy having a few days a year that I typically do not coyunt anything. The only thing that slows my roll is when my stomach starts giving me the "If you do not stop now we will be in the hospital with a flair of pancreatitis"
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    awww I almost died in 2000!!! This is why I dont get mortally wounded over food decisions. Its just not that important.
  • RunIntheMud
    RunIntheMud Posts: 2,645 Member
    FOUR! 4 threads about holiday food! AH HAHAHA HAAAAAAA!

    Seriously? It's only been 4.....seems like a helluva lot more than that...
  • bellygoaway
    bellygoaway Posts: 441 Member
    I am upping my caloric intake to maintain my weight through the end of the year. If I gain a pound or two back, no big deal. In January, the weight lose is back on!
  • krickeyuu
    krickeyuu Posts: 344 Member
    I enjoy, eat and drink whatever I want and I don't log. IT'S THREE DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR. It's what you do with the other 362 that matter!

    ^this^ I employ the same philosophy on vacation. I only go on vacation a few weeks out of a year and I enjoy myself. That said, I usually don't go completely crazy and eat 10 pizzas or an entire pecan pie.
  • MyIrishSpirit
    MyIrishSpirit Posts: 43 Member
    I'm with the having what you want party. But on Thanksgiving I did a LOT better than I normally would have and it felt great. I had a full plate of food but just a bit of this n that, mostly turkey and salad. Then 2nds of turkey >_< I had to work a 12 hours shift right after the meal so I told everyone I needed the protein to get through!

    I feel like...it's 1 day. Tomorrow is a new day. On Christmas Eve I will eat my mom's cheesy lasagna at about 4000 cals a slice. On Christmas day I will eat a turkey dinner with my in-laws. On Dec 26th I'll be back at the gym, portioning and logging. Even if you try really hard you won't gain 10lbs in one day.
  • chocl8girl
    chocl8girl Posts: 1,968 Member
    FOUR! 4 threads about holiday food! AH HAHAHA HAAAAAAA!

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTxEWRSTDoH9LyAn9d32wvpcsbW3xBaSCV-_z6RmtDmvVqY2hKSLYTgES4y
  • centaurfilly
    centaurfilly Posts: 21
    I've handled it different ways different years. A lot of my weight loss is through low carbing, so on years where I wanted to stay on target and not risk a "slip" I would stick to low carb items like turkey and deviled eggs. This year I actually did allow myself the treat on Thanksgiving but I handled it by only taking a spoonful or two of each of the items I shouldn't have (stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc). All in all I ended up with one dinner plate of food that had mostly turkey. It allowed me to taste each of the things I enjoy. And if I'm honest it's really the first bite or two of things that I love so much. I also did allow a treat of a slice of pumpkin pie :). I worked out the next day extra to make up for it.
  • KL_24
    KL_24 Posts: 28 Member
    Great advice, thanks everyone!
  • maqsmj
    maqsmj Posts: 697
    Just fast the whole day and eat at night and maybe eat less one day before and have your workouts done before as well, it is once a year so just enjoy it :)
  • merkuri22
    merkuri22 Posts: 13 Member
    The week leading up to Thanksgiving, I made a point to not eat back as many of my exercise calories.

    For Thanksgiving, I tried not to overdo it on appetizers, but once dinner came out I didn't care. I ate what I felt like eating (but not until I felt sick). I put 2000 "quick calories" into MFP for that day as a really broad estimate.

    I then went for a walk after supper, and that weekend I took a walk with my mom to the nursing home where my grandma lives. It was almost all uphil, and my FitBit scored me 38 flights of stairs that day.

    Overall, I came out of Thanksgiving week 0.5 lbs lighter than I went into it.

    I'll probably do something similar for Christmas.

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