Logging at Christmas

We usually go to stay with family for a week and get invited round to different family members for meals everyday !!
I intend to be polite & accept but be cautious of the kind of foods I eat .
I intend to keep the carbs & sugars restricted & go for the veg - unless it's smothered in sauce or butter ! I haven't got a sweet tooth so that won't be a problem.
On the DAY itself we are taking my parent out for lunch so it will hard to calculate exactly what calories i ve had but am still going to log as best I can ! & will be taking the dog for a loooooong walk & she might even get a doggy bag !

It's September.


ETA: And no one got fat in a day...or even a week.

Natty, I am with you all the way. I planned out my Thanksgiving menu just yesterday. It works out better for me to plan.

I "hope" to stay within my calorie limits for the day. I found healtheir alternatives to some recipies for the actual meal, and made sure to be reasonable with breakfast and lunch items to not go overboard. With that being said, if I did choose to go over, I am prepared for that too. It is a holiday, and one day of going over would not be the end of me. But, I also don't want to undo my hardwork.

Bottom line - know your personal limits, enjoy yourself, and move on

It's hard because the best treats are hanging around at Christmas.

What helped me was having the flu a week prior to Christmas and day of. Red and green popsicles for all, ho ho ho.

In past years, I've taken control of my menu and that helped - for those particular days. The killer for me are things like little cheesecake squares or truffles hanging around in the communal work areas. Even if you eat just a little of this and a little of that, it adds up so quickly.

Plus, when money's tight (and that seems to be the case at Christmas for me and all my loved ones) we share the holiday joy with baked goods instead of spending money at the store.

Knowing the pitfalls helps, but it's definitely the hardest time of year to maintain a reasonable number of weekly calories.

I sure do log.
its the holidays
go eat and drink your face off.

I eat, I drink, I log

Three days of the year I've decided not to log: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my birthday. Every other day of the year, I log faithfully.

Last year, I was about 5 months into maintenance over the holidays, and I was 1 or 2 pounds less than what I consider my minimum, and about 3-4 pounds less than my target, so while I kept my meals in check with portion sizes, I did splurge on all of the holiday treats. While I was off, I also increased my workouts, so all in all over the 6-weeks or so between Thanksgiving and New Year's I gained about 2-3 pounds (but within my acceptable range). I started logging again in January to ensure I got back to my normal maintenance routine.

I got a cookout with a bonfire and Smore's tonight, Bowling and Pizza and Ice cream tomorrow night, a wedding and full on reception Saturday and a Birthday/Family Cookout (Wife's B-day) where I am hosting and baking 48 chocolate frosted cupcakes and homemaking 5 gallons of cookie and cream ice cream and that is just the next 4 days lol.... My point is "Its Life" there is nothing happening tomorrow or the next day that won't be happening at Christmas. You have a caloric intake and macros you need to reach each day and there will always be temptations at every turn. Just learn to fit things into your day and move on..... Best of Luck.....

QFT.
Listen to this man. He knows a thing or two.

My advice is to start thinking of healthy low cal recipes now. Then you can have enough ammo on that day and the month. Keep walnuts out on your counter or table for quick grab snacks and don't stress right now.. Just plan ahead. There are so many yummy ideas and recipes out there so it wont be a problem to stay on track. Then right after the holidays just jump back on track.