What's your plan to stay on track through the holidays?

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Molly_Maguire
Molly_Maguire Posts: 1,103 Member
in Motivation and Support
I think it's imperative to have a set plan of action through the holidays to circumvent overeating and excessive splurging.

Because face it, we all know the season of pumpkin pie, gingerbread, eggnog, cookie-decorating, assorted nuts, stuffing, fudge, hot chocolate, candy canes, crispy turkey skin, pumpkin bars, wine, cream cheese frosting, champagne, candied ham, chocolate, and scads of other saddlebag-inducing confectionery delights are just around the corner.

And I'll be d*mned if I'm going to get caught with my pants down! I won't let 6 weeks of everyone else's splurges undo my months and months of hard work and self-control! Who's with me??!?

What are YOU doing to make sure you stay on track, while still enjoying the holiday season? Are you planning more workouts? A set number of cheat meals/splurges? Temporarily upping you calories? No change at all, maybe? Anyone who has advice/stories on plans that have worked in the past would also be greatly appreciated.

Discuss!
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Replies

  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
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    Eat my thanksgiving supper.. its one meal! Enjoy it, then take my dog out to poop like i always do! :laugh:

    Same with Christmas. lol!
  • efokken
    efokken Posts: 138 Member
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    My bf and I are running in a 10K race Thanksgiving morning... and then plan on going to the gym Friday morning and a Cross Fit session on Saturday, I plan on splurging but in moderation so I don't feel like complete crap all day long... it's just a mind set. you can't get down on yourself if you eat something naughty, enjoy it, it's the holidays, just don't over do it... :)
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    My plan is to make it 2 bad days, rather than a "season."
  • testease
    testease Posts: 220
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    I already eat copious amounts of junk food everyday, so it will probably just be an average day for me.
  • tomcat941
    tomcat941 Posts: 47 Member
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    Christmas isn't a major thing for me, i only celebrate it on the day itself. However, we may celebate it but i very rarely enjoy it completly, so i often turn to food during that time. As i am trying to be binge free i don't want to binge on christmas at all but that might be hard. It's worth a time. I've decided if i do binge on christmas, i need another week of p90x.
  • Krys_140
    Krys_140 Posts: 648 Member
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    My plan is to make it 2 bad days, rather than a "season."
    ^^this
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    I eat and drink whatever I want on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And I don't log anything. It's 3 days.....it's what you do on the other 362 days a year that matter. I can't wait to dig in, get silly drunk and have fun with family and friends:drinker:
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
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    My plan is to make it 2 bad days, rather than a "season."

    This is my plan as well
  • santini1975
    santini1975 Posts: 175 Member
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    Last year I gained 7 pounds over the holidays. I don't know why I seem to think that the month of December I need to have so many baked goodies around! This year on Thanksgiving I will enjoy the feast, but only eat the same portion of food I eat every other day of the year. For Christmas I will wait until Christmas Eve to make my fudge and pizzelles, and send the leftovers home with my guests!
  • kimika23
    kimika23 Posts: 59 Member
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    Good question! I planned to enjoy Thanksgiving, but am going to try to stick to the healthier food options. I will definitely up my exercise too as long as my knees and shoulder cooperate! I was never big into Christmas cookies, so I will avoid those. Pumpkin pie - I'll will enjoy, just not the crust.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    On the days where I go to my mom's or my in-laws, I'm simply going to enjoy and not think about tracking. I know I won't completely go insane with eating food...I can't even hold as much food as I used to, but I'm going to eat what I want and enjoy it.

    When my friend and I go out of state for fun, we have a lot of buffet food which doesn't get tracked either and I do fine on those days as well.

    I'm "good" about 98% of the time, that other 2% is just as much for mental health as it is for physical health. If I'm 100% obsessed with logging and more focused on that then I am on having a good time and enjoying the company, then I'm doing something wrong...at least for me.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    I plan to pretty much keep doing what I'm doing. I'm not going to log on Thanksgiving day or Christmas day, but I know I won't go hog wild.

    I need to increase my exercise though, like right this minute!
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
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    On the days where I go to my mom's or my in-laws, I'm simply going to enjoy and not think about tracking. I know I won't completely go insane with eating food...I can't even hold as much food as I used to, but I'm going to eat what I want and enjoy it.

    When my friend and I go out of state for fun, we have a lot of buffet food which doesn't get tracked either and I do fine on those days as well.

    I'm "good" about 98% of the time, that other 2% is just as much for mental health as it is for physical health. If I'm 100% obsessed with logging and more focused on that then I am on having a good time and enjoying the company, then I'm doing something wrong...at least for me.

    This. Exactly. It's two days out of the year, and we don't see our families that often, so I'm going to be as careful as I am any other day but also enjoy the good food and company.

    I'll log it before bed that night and make up the calories/exercise throughout the week if I need to. I trust myself, though. I haven't overeaten in months, and I couldn't even if I wanted to.
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
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    I just plan to keep doing what I am doing now, eating healthy and finding time to exercise.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    I plan on eating all the damn food. Seriously, I'm giving myself 10k calories a day for a couple days. If I get that far I'd be impressed. Although I could easily eat more than my current 3300 so I'm not sure how much of a challenge it will be.
  • Jeanlk4
    Jeanlk4 Posts: 18
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    The gym I go to has a biggest loser competition right now. Every time you come in, you earn a point, every time you lose a pound or a percent of body fat you get a point, Meet with a trainer to get your weight and measurements, get a point, Take a group class and get a point. For every 10 points you get a free one on one training session with a personal trainer, and I think the winner gets like 10 free personal training sessions on top of the other they earned? It's pretty cool motivation, especially knowing i have to go in every two weeks and get measured by my trainer!
  • Restybaby2012
    Restybaby2012 Posts: 568 Member
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    the more time I spend on MFP reading, studying and learning......and the more time I spend on practicing(??wrong term maybe) on eating "right" and eating healthy, the less inclined I am to eat too much or way wrong or unhealthy.

    GOOD HEAVENS I CANT EVEN USE THE CORRECT WORDS TONIGHT!!!!!!

    I just dont feel the need much anymore to eat what I shouldnt or how I shouldnt. ('cept for my cinnamon rolls) I absolutely detest that over stuffed over full feeling now.

    I'll probably log that day but only for a guess-timate.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    My plan is to make it 2 bad days, rather than a "season."
    ^^this

    This x 2
  • Rhia55
    Rhia55 Posts: 247
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    Thanksgiving is a "free" day for me.. no logging.. I eat what I want.

    However, the next day a hard workout is going to be done and Christmas I will be eating my normal diet, so no Christmas dinner.
  • dutchman24
    dutchman24 Posts: 108 Member
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    I just plan on enjoying the day, but limiting the damage. Am only going enjoy the ONE day.

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