are you counting calories on thanksgiving?

Probably not, but im going to watch my choices and portion sizes. I could eat a pound of my moms stuffing, but im either going have one small scoop, or skip it all together if I don't think I can control myself. Same goes for sweet potatoes!

this is me, exactly!

gonna log EVERY BITE, and when I close my diary for the day, I'll see why I don't live like that all the time, anymore ("if every day were like today...").

Yes, next question.

well we see why..but come on-its once a year!:sad:

1 day can totally destroy weeks of progress, plus there is a ripple affect, you cheat once on thanksgiving and I bet you will again soon after... Its not like most of us ended up "not in shape" by being extremely disciplined to begin with.. I bet this holiday brings alot of people that are headed in the right direction right back to their old lifestyle... IMO it just comes down to how bad do you want it??? I will log everything and hit my numbers...

Nope. Still logging everything and exceeding my numbers that day. Still won't significantly derail anything. A few thouscand calories over in a day is *at most* one pound. There is no reason why one day has to affect more than one day...that's where discipline comes into play. Why assume that just because *you* might lack the discipline to let that one day affect more than one day that everyone else does too?

Says the guy with 2lbs lost on his ticker but 10k posts telling everyone how it's done...

IMO one day can throw off more than that day and I am not talking just in lbs... There's the mental affect... There is the feeling like absolute **** the next day and then not hitting the gym... One day can destroy someone's routine...

It all comes down to what you want out of dieting... Some people diet cause they want to talk about it others and to fit in... Others do it because they want to improve their body... Sorry if I don't give the standard sugar coated MFP responses you guys are used too ..

LOL @ the bolded.

As for the mental effect, that's where discipline is involved. If *you* (or others) need not to relax even one day because you (and others) know you lack the discipline to keep it at one day, then absolutely, don't relax...but don't preach to those who *do* have the discipline not to let that happen...

...and yet you frame it as you having greater discipline.

And another LOL @ the apology for lack of sugar coating for me.

You keep referring to me as having a lack of discipline and I am the one who says I will log and hit my numbers on thanksgiving.... How is that a lack of discipline? I hit my numbers everyday through my wife's pregnancy, and cut 28lbs, is that a lack of discipline?

Obviously I have different goals than you do... But maybe the thread title should be changed to how can I justify eating like a pig next Thursday because it seems like that's what most are looking for in here....

You said that "cheating" on Thanksgiving would likely lead you/others to "cheat" again later. If so, that is a lack of discipline. I posit that some people can choose to exceed their calories on one day and then resume their plan going forward. That (IMHO) demonstrates greater discipline given that you have acknowledged that many are unable to do this. I am arguing that those that can do this thing without using it as an excuse to later fail have greater discipline than those who let it lead them to fail.

And I agree that an all-or-nothing approach works better *for some people*. I used to be that way myself (and arguably still am in most matters), so I understand. However, I do not believe this approach is optimal for diet and suspect it leads to a higher-than-average failure rate.

Some may see this as semantics, but I don't. It isn't essential for the discussion that everyone agrees with me, but it would be helpful if others could at least understand the distinction I'm trying to make in my argument.

All that said, if your profile pic is yours, I'd be inclined to listen to you and not the old guy w/ ~18% BF (regardless of whether or not you're right or wrong in this instance).

And OP, yes, I'm still counting calories on Thanksgiving...and I will still be eating at least 3k over my current ~3k target.

I will NOT track a thing. Since this is a lifestyle change, this 1 day a year will not break the lifetime of food choices. And i don't want to be "That guy" that can't take a break from logging everything I eat. I am going to enjoy it. No regrets or guilt. This time should be focused on and being thankful for the things we have, and not on our diets.

I like your attitude about this one day. However, tracking a full day takes 5-10 minutes. While I understand not actively tracking while sitting at the table, I'd suggest you consider tracking from memory at the end of the day (or perhaps when convenient during the day). This has been an enlightening experience for a lot of people who have followed my suggestion as many of them find they only ate 1000-1500ish over and not the ~5000 over that they thought they would. This understanding can be very helpful in realizing that one day doesn't actually derail them, *but letting a feeling of failure for one day (based on faulty data) be an excuse to give up entirely absolutely can (and certainly has for many people)*.

Just something to consider.

I have 93 lbs to go. I am doing the cooking for about 45 people. Usually by the time everything is ready, I don't even want to eat. I always make a couple of pans of homemade yeast cinnamon rolls with cream cheese and powder sugar icing for everyone to munch on for breakfast. Used to make my own dough, but now I use frozen dough. So I am going to make every attempt at keeping to my meal plan and definitely doing my exercise while I watch the football games. I cook but I don't have to clean.

I have 93 lbs to go. I am doing the cooking for about 45 people. Usually by the time everything is ready, I don't even want to eat. I always make a couple of pans of homemade yeast cinnamon rolls with cream cheese and powder sugar icing for everyone to munch on for breakfast. Used to make my own dough, but now I use frozen dough. So I am going to make every attempt at keeping to my meal plan and definitely doing my exercise while I watch the football games. I cook but I don't have to clean.

WOW 45 people!!!! How long does it take you to prep and cook?

in THIS moment, i feel like i will probably log and try to still come in under calories for the week. maybe not the DAY, but the week. the things i'm craving so far aren't so bad for you, in moderation. we normally have lots of veggie dishes that we serve, too.

It's probably going to be just my wife and my son and I. I will log. Might just do a pizza and movie day. I've eaten enough white meat lately that If I am going to "cheat" I want pizza! Good pizza! And maybe a piece of pumpkin pie. :bigsmile:

YUP. I'm counting them all and I'm sure I will have a glorious 2500+ day (or more), but I will count every morsel that I eat!

Maybe, I am running a 5k in the morning so I will have some extra calories, not enough though, and I want to see how many calories it is, where it ends!