Holiday Blue's

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NDHHolloway
NDHHolloway Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
I am really worrying myself to death over the Holidays coming up,..my family is huge into Holidays, we get up early cook all day, eat all day, Its not a great Tradition but its one we have done for years and years. My mom and sisters are already calling and talking about what we are going to make. My mom and I have been working side by side in the kitchen to do Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners for ten years now. I love it, but as we cook we eat,..have to try what you make. I usually gain weight every holiday and it never comes back off 30 years of gaining weight on holidays and family get together's that is what I am fighting. I have really low will power as it is on a daily basis, and I am working hard to lose weight and I am rather worried that this holiday season I will fall into old habit's get frustrated and give up again.

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  • PinkCoconut
    PinkCoconut Posts: 655 Member
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    Oye. That sounds like a tough situation. On the one hand, you want to reach your goals but on the other, you don't want to hurt your family's feelings or think you're breaking a tradition.

    In this situation the only thing I can say is that if you really want to achieve these goals, talk to your family NOW. Tell them that you're worried and ask them to help you. They may surprise you by being totally understanding. Or maybe you can decide that you'll be in charge of making some healthier dishes instead? When it comes to the holidays my rule of thumb is to not worry about weight loss ('cause it rarely happens) but to just focus on maintaining. I do that by making sure I step it up with my fitness and not to keep any leftover (or pre-made) holiday food in the house.

    This is the time where you'll really want to plan ahead and it sounds like you're starting to do that which is AWESOME!

    You may also want to consider joining an accountability group (I have one on Facebook if you'd like to join) so that when you're having problems or emergency situations crop up you can count on them.

    I hope that helps a little! Feel free to friend me!
  • loriq41
    loriq41 Posts: 479 Member
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    Look at it more like there are three big eating days..thanksgiving, perhaps christmas eve and christmas day....you cannot take an eating holiday through the whole two months..so if you just eat above those days then IT IS OK. The problem comes when people use all the two months leading up to a holiday to pig out..you are going to have to have willpower and limit yourself when there are holiday parties, work parties, ect. I have already resolved that those three days are going to be a wash..but I have also realized that I need to keep up with my workouts and tracking and that when people bring christmas cookies to work that I am going to have to forgo them (at least most of the time). I am going to have to plan...do I have a holiday party on a friday? Well if so, perhaps I will eat a little below my calories and make sure I workout well that week. My goal this holiday season is to maintain primarily..I am not superwoman and I do not want to feel completely deprived. Make this the year that you have a nice thanksgiving meal and the next day back to "business as usual" meaning..forgo the turkey and stuffing leftover sandwiches and head to the gym! Good luck to you! :)
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    You don't have to taste as you eat, you don't have to eat all day, you don't have to take huge portions of food. Enjoy the time with your family, cook with your mom, have fun. It's totally up to you if you eat too much or not. No harm in telling your family that you're trying to get to a healthy weight and that you enjoy their company but it doesn't mean you have to over eat to do that.
  • bf43005
    bf43005 Posts: 287
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    I think the holidays are hard for a lot of people. My husband and I do a lot of split family stuff so it's not just one day for any holiday, it's like a week of different houses.

    My suggestion is plan a menu that is more healthy. More veggies, do sweet potatoes not regular mashed potatoes, etc. There are things that can be done to cut out the fat, a lot of people put butter on the turkey to keep it moist, cut that out. Christmas, don't do very sugary cookies. Find stuff that is better for you. This way you don't have to cut out the tradition and can still enjoy the familiy time.
  • brraanndi
    brraanndi Posts: 325 Member
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    As long as you aren't eating like every day is Halloween you should be fine.

    Also you can fit a large variety of things that may not be the best nutrient wise but are definitely happy holiday treats ( Hello Hershey's Candy Cane Bar ) without blowing your diet. Just take the time to calculate your food and avoid the things you can't even make an educated guess about is my suggestion.
  • msdelta
    msdelta Posts: 3
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    There is nothing like traditions. They make us feel comfortable, secure and happy. Being the one to change traditions makes you feel like a traitor sometimes. The good news is that you can change your tradition of stuffing yourself all day without changing the other traditions you enjoy, so relax. Make this about what you can do. Could you possibly take the time before the holidays to make plans about how you are going to join the traditions, yet tweek them a bit to fit your new healthy lifestyle? It is a fact that we can't change the way the rest of the world (family) eats to make it easier on us, but we can change the way we approach family feasts to make it easier on ourselves. You also have to realize that holidays are times of celebration and feasting so it is okay to raise your calorie limit on that day, but don't keep it up for the whole holiday season.

    You also have to know yourself and what you are able to do. Can you lower your calorie intake by 100 or 200 a day for a week or so leading up to the big day to sort of 'bank' a few calories? Can you find one or two festive dishes that are lower in calorie than your usual dishes to add to the menu--who knows your family might find some new healthier favorites. Can you limit yourself to just a taste and not a second and third or a bowlful before the meal? Can you limit yourself to only allowing yourself to one correct portion of each dish? Can you allow yourself to only take a portion of a few of the dishes and not everything? Can you limit yourself to eating a meal and then not going back to the kitchen for helpings of this and that all day? Can you go home and leave all the food there or if it is at your house buy some of the inexpensive disposable storage bowls and zipper bags and send EVERYTHING home with others? Can you take a walk or a nap when others start going back to the kitchen after the main meal of the day? You said your mother is already planning, can you get the final menu before the meal and put the recipe into a web site that will tell you how many calories/carbs/fat/whatever you are following is in each dish and work out how many extra calories you are going to allow yourself that day, then figure the foods that will fit into that plan before you get there and stick to your plan? Can you make a plan for the next day or two after the meal and just enjoy the holiday tradition and then detox and get back on plan? If you enjoy sugary foods and lots of carbs typical in a holiday dinner then hey are going to make you crave sugar something terrible unless you detox for a few days and I am not talking about an expensive cleanse, but there are numerous plans out there for the day after kind of thing. Look them up and find one that you can follow for say three days or a week and make your plans--buy the groceries to follow the plan before the holiday, lay it out on your counter or table so that it is there when you wake up the day after and get back to work. Also, you will probably find that after eating on plan your holiday feasting is going to make you feel bad, if not awful. You might look forward to getting back on plan.

    The key thing is that you know you and what your strengths and weaknesses are. Use the time before the holidays to determine what you can do to play to your strengths and work around your weaknesses. Going into it you will feel more confident if you have a plan. Just remember the hard work that you have already put into this and find a way to enjoy the tradition without feeling that you have to fall face first into all that food. Sometimes we eat as if we will never see that food again--like it is a death row inmates's last meal. Just keep reminding yourself that any of that food you can have anytime you like. You don't have to wait for a holiday. Try to make the holiday traditions more about enjoying the people around you and the traditions and less about how much of the food you can consume, but also allow yourself to enjoy some of your favorite foods that mean holiday to you in moderate portions. Just remember you can do this without changing traditions except for the amount you eat. YOU CAN DO THIS. I hope you find a way to enjoy your holidays and maintain your loss.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    drink some whiskey,,... bye bye blues/////
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    My game plan is:
    To pick 1-2 things and not feel guilty for eating them as they are my favorites.
    To use a salad plate only.
    To NOT get seconds.
  • indrani1947
    indrani1947 Posts: 178 Member
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    Taste everything eat nothing in other words limit the high calorie foods to sample sizes and eat plenty of the healthy foods. Don't stress about it just give it your best shot .
  • angelamangus1
    angelamangus1 Posts: 164 Member
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    How bad do you want to keep up with your progress? How bad do you want to be healthier? Really ask yourself these questions and you will find the answer on how it will go during the holidays.:flowerforyou:

    In all honesty, family gathers and a lot of food around can be tough on many, but that is only one or two days. Going off track for the 2 months will be tougher on you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Do you want to just deal with 1 or 2 days or 2 months? A couple of days off track will not kill your process of a lifestyle change. It is the overall success of multiple days that will benefit you. Look at your good days and move on from the bad. Note them, but move on from them, they do not define your overall success.

    Personally, I am planning what I will eat that day and I will keep within my calorie limits (planning on maintenance calories), If someone has something to say about it, piss off!:tongue: I am going to workout in the morning, cook, spend time with family, watch a couple of football games, eat and drink a couple of beers:drinker: If I eat more than planned, I will pick up where I left off and get back to my lifestyle change. I am not defined by my bad days. I have already had a couple and I am still succeeding in my journey. I am stronger and healthier than when I first started.

    Therefore, I suggest plan what you will eat (since you assist in preparation you will know what will be on the menu). You can taste what you are cooking just log it and be honest about what you log, it may surprise as to how much is eaten during a holiday feast! DO NOT let anyones side comments bother you if they notice a change in your eating habits (again easier said than done). Explain why if you want too, but other than that if they give you any sarcasm, tell them to piss off!:wink: If the weather is decent go for a walk before and/or after (if time permits) and above all enjoy the time you have with your family and friends. Enjoy the holidays and if you derail that day or on another day just know tomorrow will be new and better.

    Happy Holidays!! :drinker:

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