Starting A Diet At Xmas, Good Idea???

Avril84
Avril84 Posts: 3
in Introduce Yourself
hi,

I've just joined MFP as I've heard loads of great stuff about it, so hoping it will give me the extra push and motivation needed... Starting the diet TODAY!!! So I'm already for a positive start to the new year without it being a real shock to the system!

Anyone else starting or recently started a diet.... any tips would be great.... I've got about 2 stone to lose and hoping I can do it withing 3 months... :noway:
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Replies

  • BooBerrie77
    BooBerrie77 Posts: 9 Member
    i just started this monday

    i like doing it this time of year because then if i survive the holiday in tact, i know i am ready to change

    i plan my meals out , including treats (because what is the point of life without a lil sweet) and when i am eating, i take my time and if i want to eat , i think about whether or not i am really hungry (i am a boredom, stress, and emotional eater)
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    I always get more motivated around the holidays :) Good luck!
  • tinak33
    tinak33 Posts: 9,883 Member
    If you can be disciplined during Christmas, then you can do it the rest of the year.... hahaha :wink:
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    think of it this way, if you start today, your 11 days ahead of progress than you would be if you started jan 1! no reason you have to eat bad all 11 days just because its christmas! make a plan, stick to the plan. example, my plan is to stay on track, but allow myself the 24th, 25th and 31st as free days that i dont have to worry... that still leaves 8 days for good eating though, between now and the 1st!
  • Jayneopopsidoodle
    Jayneopopsidoodle Posts: 63 Member
    I restarted on Sunday.... I find I manage better if I start on a Sunday. I'm gonna be logging everyday now until Xmas day when I'll let myself have a good day and then jump back on it xxx Only problem lies in people saying that its Christmas and eating everything in sight and bringing lots of goodies to work. Add me as a friend anyone :) xxxx

    I have around 16lbs to lose x
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    in september, i was 246 pounds... ive lost 44 pounds, still having a couple days a month as my reward days (every other saturday to be exact) and i still lose constantly! its when 1 day turns into 5 days, 10 days, 30 days... then you have a problem! just make a plan and stick to it!!!
  • Avril84
    Avril84 Posts: 3
    cheers for the tips guys.... If I can do it now when there are boxes of chocolates open EVERYWHERE I seem to go ... then it should be a piece of cake when January comes around!
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    It's always a good time to start a healthy lifestyle! And you're ahead of all the New Year's resolutionist!
  • VitaBailey
    VitaBailey Posts: 271 Member
    Sure! Start now while you have the motivation.
  • TJanel101
    TJanel101 Posts: 5 Member
    I would say stay motivated and dont focus on time, take your time and just make it a everyday thing. Do it like Clock work, remember to nourish your body. Give it what it needs, and try to get addicted to working out! you can do it!:smile::smile:
  • VitaBailey
    VitaBailey Posts: 271 Member
    cheers for the tips guys.... If I can do it now when there are boxes of chocolates open EVERYWHERE I seem to go ... then it should be a piece of cake when January comes around!

    Exactly!
  • TJanel101
    TJanel101 Posts: 5 Member
    Good luck I always get morivated also!
  • BklynEibhlin
    BklynEibhlin Posts: 119 Member
    Absolutely! I just got my Fit armband and even though I considered waiting until New Years, I figured why not start now? It's been excellent to motivate me to leave the office goodies table alone and I've been walking more (shopping more too).
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Any time is a good time to start.
  • Shas2228
    Shas2228 Posts: 187
    I started September 12th... and I'm SO glad I did. I've lost almost 50 pounds, instead of gaining almost 50 from all the wonderfully delicious holiday treats I would love to get my claws on and choke down shamelessly. LoL. I'm sorry.. What does a stone equal to for a pound? :)
  • HunterKiller_wechange2
    HunterKiller_wechange2 Posts: 332 Member
    Sod that! Im gonna eat all i can over Christmas then workout like a beast after New Year. :smile:


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  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    and you will find so many good recipes on here, eventually, you will actually prefer the healthy choices over the non-healthy ones...

    example, i have 5 kids, taking them to the balboa island boat parade tonight... anyone who knows about it knows that means ice cream, pizza, hot chocolate smothered in whipped cream, fried chicken, and many other crazy food choices... so, im going to sprouts, and grabbing stuff to make some homemade salsa and veggies for dipping (chips for the kids)... then going to make my home-made pizza rolls, and some 25 cal hot chocolate... pack it and bring it with... that way, im not sitting there starving while everyone is shoveling...

    if you know people at work are bringing goodies, bring your own goodies to pick at... there are lots of choices, like fresh frozen berries, mixed with fat free cool whip, let sit for 45 minutes, turns into a sorbet mousse type treat...
  • Avril84
    Avril84 Posts: 3
    I started September 12th... and I'm SO glad I did. I've lost almost 50 pounds, instead of gaining almost 50 from all the wonderfully delicious holiday treats I would love to get my claws on and choke down shamelessly. LoL. I'm sorry.. What does a stone equal to for a pound? :)

    A stone is 14lb....
  • Onaughmae
    Onaughmae Posts: 873 Member
    Actually I think anytime is a good time..because it really shouldnt be a *diet*. People always say that diets fail...and its true..they do. You stay on it long enough to lose weight, then go right back to the bad eating habits you had before and gain it all back. Its all about a real lifestyle change and making permanent changes to your eating habits. MFP is an awesome tool to help accomplish this. By logging what I eat I really see what it is "costing me" and I can either make a better choice, or I can plan for it better. The motivation from other people is pretty awesome too! Best of luck to you!
  • shirleygirl910
    shirleygirl910 Posts: 503 Member
    "Now" is always a good place to start. If you decide to do "free days" like some have suggested, still log everything that goes past your lips (good or bad). Always know what a serving size is. You don't have to have a whole serving of everything, but be aware of how much you are eating. If you are like me and like everything and don't want to miss out or feel deprived, try a quarter serving of each. Sometimes it's amazing to me how much I would have piled on my plate before, and not realized how many servings I was eating at a time. You want to enjoy, but still be aware.
  • bbgughj
    bbgughj Posts: 219 Member
    Yes , you can start a diet today , BUT make sure you start a lifestyle change on Jan 1 2013 . Good luck !
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Let's put it this way...there's always going to be a holiday...or a birthday party...or a potluck...or a BBQ...etc, etc, etc. I'm pretty much a big picture guy...I don't get all bent out of shape over one day...I simply don't worry about it. I started just a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving (not on MFP, but I started)...I didn't worry about Thanksgiving day itself, or even that weekend for the most part...I didn't go nuts, but I endulged a bit...enjoyed more beer than usual...ate a lot of turkey and stuffing...and turkey sandwhiches. Now, a month later, and I'm still losing weight. I've lost 12 pounds since I started my lifestyle change in late October. One day here and there isn't going to de-rail you...it's not the end of the world if you endulge a bit; it's life and you have to live it and enjoy it.

    For me, this is all about an overall lifestyle change, not an "I'm gong to lose xx Lbs by such and such a date"...and then put it right back on when that goal has been met. Remember, it's but one day of 365...and weight loss/weight control is not a linear thing...it's a long range trend.
  • ImmortalDancer
    ImmortalDancer Posts: 14
    It's really a lifestyle change for me, as some other mentioned, so when the holidays come around, my motivation is boosted up, but I also know I'm ready for this! You just have to think of it as a lifestyle change and you can rock the holidays!
  • marcellustimothy
    marcellustimothy Posts: 2 Member
    There is never a bad time to start a diet. The good news is that you won't have an extra 5 or 10 pounds to lose which you would have possibly gained during that time.

    I say go for it. That is what I am doing since just before Halloween.
  • PaulFields56
    PaulFields56 Posts: 108 Member
    I'm with you! I started over Thanksgiving weekend, and I did okay. The next couple of weeks, with travel and all the wonderful home cooking are going to be hard, but I guess now is the time to start. I may not be perfect, but any progress is good.

    Good luck. And friend request is sent!
    P
  • gafaloe
    gafaloe Posts: 5
    No time like the present!

    My diet started Monday. Everyone at work (and at home) thinks I'm nuts doing this a week before Christmas. I really don't care. It's a personal goal and I'm ready. Still, it will be tough to avoid all the yummy foods. My family has a very ethnic Christmas with Slovak foods as far as the eye and stomach can see. Endless dishes with breads, cheeses and potatoes! Oh my!

    Stay strong and excited about your goal! :smile:
  • weblady12
    weblady12 Posts: 9 Member
    Wow! I was thinking the same thing. I feel really motivated to start. Just don't want that type of pressure before I start. The post have been very insightful.
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    Yes. Just don't be all ba humbug about the holiday food. Start now. Then take 1 day off. Then go back to doing what you gotta do.
  • NatashaCeeLow1
    NatashaCeeLow1 Posts: 17 Member
    I am actually starting a semi diet with a coworker in January. We have both set goals. I have trouble with diets or cutting out certain foods around the holidays. I don't see my family or indulge in their cooking other than twice a year, so I wouldn't dream of taking that away. Good Luck!
  • csheeley
    csheeley Posts: 1 Member
    I think starting a healthy eating plan going into the holidays is a smart thing to do. Even if you stay the same thru' the holidays, you're ahead of the game. I can usually count on gaining 5 lbs during Thanksgiving or Christmas, esp Christmas as there are so many eating functions to attend. Vacations do it to me too. I started before Thanksgiving and altho' the loss has been slow, I don't exercise, at least I'm 7 lbs lighter a week before Christmas than I was before TG. The main trick to sticking to it is being faithful to journal your foods and be honest about your food intake. It doesn't matter what you write down, cause if you cheat your body will reflect the truth. I'm trying to end the yo-yo cycle of gaining and losing by being accountable to myself for the choices I make. And, I do allow myself treats, making sure to journal them. I have fought weighing and measuring food for a long time, but bought a good food scale, not expensive, and keep it on the counter. It's not easy to lose weight at 71. Any form of exercise is not a part of my daily routine yet, but my metabolism is so slow that I may have to choose some form, but it has to be free. Will not pay anyone ever again to lose weight or exercise. Altho' it feels good to lose the weight, the trick is to learn to keep it off which I haven't mastered yet. I'm hoping that by keeping track with myfitnesspal foot intake chart, I will continue with it to keep it off too.

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