sabotage at christmas - just me?

Options
2

Replies

  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
    Options
    I keep my before and current picture (one of those comparison ones) on my phone, people get pushy, I whip out my phone and show them why I don't overeat or overdrink (only if they don't know me well, my friends have been on this page since last Christmas). That tends to end the discussion with a smile and a congratulations.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Options
    Build your diet around your life, not your life around your diet.
    Worth repeating. :)
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
    Options
    Learning to deal with that kind of thing is all part of the journey.
    The most important thing I have learned is to not involve anyone else in what I eat, and to not argue and give reasons. If you argue, people will argue back. So I just say "No thank you" and change the topic. If they persist, I say "No thank you " again. Or I take whatever they are offering and don't eat it. People never notice that part, only that you took it.

    OR, I try to be a sport and take a bite if we are talking about something that is the topic of conversation. Like it or not, food is a very big part of social interaction. People aren't trying to sabotage you, they are trying to be nice and include you. Try to remember that and it may make things easier.
  • mwbulechek
    mwbulechek Posts: 162 Member
    Options
    I do not know if I would call it sabotage as much as I would call it ignorance on their part. I had to experience this at Thanksgiving "is there something wrong with the potatoes? You are not eating them" and then the whole pie thing, one of them actually brought me a piece of pie after I stated "no thank you I will be skipping pie this year."
    Just do your thing, let them do theirs and do not let it get under your skin!
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
    Options
    I keep my before and current picture (one of those comparison ones) on my phone, people get pushy, I whip out my phone and show them why I don't overeat or overdrink (only if they don't know me well, my friends have been on this page since last Christmas). That tends to end the discussion with a smile and a congratulations.
    And people don't persist and tell you "One little cookie isn't going to make a difference!"?

    I learned that this happens more often than not.
  • Pamtime22
    Pamtime22 Posts: 4
    Options
    I usually am more guilty of self sabotage. Last night i sampled cookies and had large slice of pizza at mall! However i usually take offered treats from family and friends out of politeness, take a couple small nibbles and then dispose of rest when they don't see me, then say oh that was great. Just look for their trash can when they are not looking. If they offer more do the same or give it to their dog. Lol. Good luck.
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    Options
    I will go on a 36 hour fast if I over indulge for a holiday meal.
  • cappri
    cappri Posts: 1,089 Member
    Options
    When people try to offer me treats, I give them one of these
    tumblr_m6mdaaToiB1ranhnao1_250.gif
    followed by lifting up my shirt and doing one of these
    tumblr_m9sh9j3MBg1qk0mslo1_250.gif
    they laugh and leave me alone. but sometimes they insist and when they do I say diabetes and they drop it. I had type II nearly 3 years ago and don't anymore.

    So awesome!
  • cappri
    cappri Posts: 1,089 Member
    Options
    I too am getting sick of hearing "oh it's the holidays, it's okay!!" When I was complaining about the weight I gained over Thanksgiving (I indulged a little too much), one of my coworkers was like "It's okay, you live in the South you're supposed to eat like that!" Um.. what?!

    She was trying to be polite and make you feel better. Did you want her to say "You are right you shouldn't have eaten so much."
  • cappri
    cappri Posts: 1,089 Member
    Options
    Build your diet around your life, not your life around your diet.

    I love this!
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
    Options
    Yes, yes, and yes to this. Christmas should be a time for celebrating, but with all of the food pushing, it's just put me in a bad mood.

    You are not alone.
  • triathlete5301
    triathlete5301 Posts: 182 Member
    Options
    If I have "food" plans with people, I try to figure out where we are going and plan what I am going to eat there. Make sure you go somewhere where you can look up the calorie content etc. Go in with a plan and then stick to it (that's the hard part- its always easier to say I want a salad than to show up and smell a burger). If people want to go out for drinks, plan accordingly. I don't think of it as sabotage, I think if it as peoples excuse that they believe themselves to allow themselves to overindulge. We have choices that we want to make whether or not we want to do.

    Overall, I believe that if we have a goal in mind and we stick to our guns, even though the holidays are full of festive-calorie rich cheer, we can come out where we want to. You just have to decide what you want to allow and not allow.
  • mominwi419
    mominwi419 Posts: 87
    Options
    This time of year just sucks for food.

    I've decided that I am going to pick and choose my battles. That means that I'll eat before going to my husband's family's "all-you-can-stuff-in-your-face" pizza buffet. Seriously, they order close to 20 pizzas and everyone pigs out.

    That also means I'll celebrate my best friend's birthday and her engagement the week before. We're going out for sushi. I am going to primarily do sashimi, but may let myself indulge in a roll with my husband.
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
    Options
    I must be that sabatager. I love food. I love to bake. I enjoy spending time with friends. I love going out. I am responsible for what I put in my mouth. The people I go out with are responsible for what they put in theirs. I make it fit period.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    Options
    This is why I love zig-zagging having a weekly calorie target vs. a daily one. I can easily eat lower calorie a few days in order to have extra calories to eat at a social event and/or exercise a bit more, too, to offset it. No problem.

    I also pick-and-choose my splurges. At Thanksgiving, there was no way I was going to avoid eating my favorites like turkey stuffing, Aunt Virginia's carrot cake, and such. However, I totally bypassed the mashed potatoes, rolls, pies and such because those are something I can easily have any time and didn't miss them a bit. But I had two servings of stuffing and the carrot cake. Yummmmm. Totally worth it.

    And if you do go over your calories that day/week, so what? I'm set to lose 0.5# a week. So that means I'd have to eat an extra 1,750 calories that week in order to not lose anything. (Sure, our bodies don't always lose according to math equations but close enough.) So I just maintain that week? No big deal. It's not going to derail my lifestyle.

    I've heard it said "It's not what you eat from Christmas to New Year's that's the problem, it's what you eat from New Year's to Christmas". Makes sense to me.

    This is a lifestyle for me, not a diet, and I'm not perfect in any other area of my life so why should I be perfect with my eating? If it takes me a little longer to make it to my goal, again, so what? Studies show that flexible dieters not only are more likely to achieve their goal, they're more likely to maintain their goal.
  • katcunock
    katcunock Posts: 664 Member
    Options

    I've heard it said "It's not what you eat from Christmas to New Year's that's the problem, it's what you eat from New Year's to Christmas". Makes sense to me.

    I zig zag too

    and i agree with the statement. My issue is that it's only the 2nd of december and i already have people willing me to indulge (certain obese friends) in the spirit of christmas! It just seems to me that this why they have such issues in the first place.

    We can't leave the house at xmas as boyf is on call - we have a cheese picknic in bed planned. And i will love it.
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
    Options
    We can't leave the house at xmas as boyf is on call - we have a cheese picknic in bed planned. And i will love it.

    Just don't have crackers with it :laugh:
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    Options
    the amount of people trying to sabotage you around christmas is mental. It's literally the 2nd, and people are already telling me to 'treat myself, it's christmas'.

    No. I don't want to go to that all you can eat buffet with you, i don't see why my social interactions have to focus on food.

    People's reactions? not favourable.

    I indulge, I workout, but I don't go overboard. What is so wrong with that???

    How do you cope with the sabotage?Am I the only one experiencing this?

    No, I don't think they are trying to sabotage you, they are just trying to spend time with you.

    You need to be able to fit these occassions into your life, and not cut yourself off from your family and friends.

    Eating like that every single day will affect your weight, but enjoying the odd day with friends and family over the holiday won't, just eat a bit less the day before/after.

    Don't let your desire to lose weight rob you of enjoying life.
  • LadyIntrepid
    LadyIntrepid Posts: 399 Member
    Options
    Supposedly the average person gains 7-12 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's. It sure is good going down, but it's a bi%ch to get off! I prefer to pull back on non-celebratory days, fully enjoy the celebratory days without ridiculously overindulging, and up the exercise to help compensate. I'm at maintenance now, but when I was trying to lose weight, I cut myself some slack -- as long as I didn't gain any weight, that was good enough and that's exactly what happened -- didn't gain or lose an ounce but didn't feel deprived or like I was missing out on anything either. Then I went back to focusing on weight loss again after Jan 1.
  • Gemz321
    Gemz321 Posts: 64
    Options
    I have not told people I am dieting, as generally I don't feel like I am just generally trying to have a healthier lifestyle and yes lose weight. I have not lost weight fast so hardly anyone has noticed, a few have recently said you look like you've lost some weight. I then just say yes Ive lost a few just generally eating and exercising better. I don't make a big deal out of it, so nobody pushes me into eating foods as they don't realize I am trying to control what I eat. In the past though if I have been on a diet, I seem to have a lot of people trying to give me sweet and fatty foods. Now its just generally if there are some there, people will say there's such and such there if you fancy some, if I say no im alright thanks, nothing more is said. As its christmas at work, there are chocolates etc out, most days I don't have any, although last week one day I had one as I fancied it, and I didn't feel guilty. I just wanted one so I had one and I know it was still in my calories. In the past I would have had more than 1 but I was satisfied with that bit of sweetness. I do believe on Christmas day I will eat a lot, but I am not worried about that, as long as most of the time I am doing the right thing, that's what matters. :)

Categories