Losing weight during the holidays

Holy moley, 'tis the season to fall off the wagon! Thanksgiving is next week filled with turkey, heavy gravy, buttermilk mashed potatoes, buttery cornbread, and so much more. And then all the sweets for Christmas, drinks on New Year's Eve (which is also my birthday so the cake makes it even more difficult). How is everyone staying motivated during the holidays?

Replies

  • Dgadd17
    Dgadd17 Posts: 49 Member
    Personally, I'm going to be trying more to not gain weight than to lose weight. I'll be trying to stick within my calories, working out as much as always, etc., but I'm sure I'll have a couple cheat days in there; more out of peer pressure than anything! lol I figure that if I come out of the holidays weighing around the same as I do now, it won't be a complete failure. Any weight loss I do manage will just be a bonus!
  • moonmistmm
    moonmistmm Posts: 178 Member
    Last holidays I stopped tracking and I gained 10 pounds in December. So this year's plan is to keep tracking, no matter what. Even on my cheat days. I'm also going to work out a lot to hopefully curb some of the damage I do. Mostly, I'm hoping to maintain and just gain some self control. (Just because it's a cheat day doesn't mean three pieces of cake and four cookies!)
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
    I am still tracking my food but i am not going to worry to much about what i eat. It's the holidays and we can't let our diet stop us from enjoying them. So as long as i stay within reason i don't worry to much on thanksgiving, Christmas and new years. The only tough time i have is all the sweets made on the days that are not holidays, i avoid to much of that stuff.
  • nettie219
    nettie219 Posts: 24 Member
    Hi, I plan to keep tracking on the Holidays. I have also been grateful to have a personal trainer so going to workout the day before Thanksgiving and day after so that is the goal for me. It just turned out that is my days Wednesdays and Fridays for my trainer. I do plan to eat anything I want on the Holiday as long as I stay in my calorie limit. I get 1550 calories so I am sure I can eat pretty good that day. I'll just be real careful not to go overboard. I wish you a great day and just be kind to yourself you can do it.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    How is everyone staying motivated during the holidays?

    Time off work gives me more time to smash out some miles, potentially even get a chance to get the bike off the turbo and out on the roads.
  • I just stick to IIFYM. Then there's zero guilt for the things with high sugar and fat i've eaten, 'cause it fit my macros. I now that my basic food intake is wholesome and heathy and packed with vitamins, so i don't think it'll be very hard. Also i've made myself a rule - NO calorie counting on christmas eve. This may sound off, but that's really what i need. One night of enjoying yourself won't make you gain tons, and it won't ruin your progress.

    We alle have to remmeber that living a healthy lifestyle shouldn't be awfull and annoying - it should be fun and exiting!
    To me christmas is a time of love, and not only loving others, but myself to.

    Also i love to experiment. To try out new recipes. Maybe your favourite holiday food is the turkey - then experiment by trying ti make a healthier version of it.

    Then again this is very easy for me because i don't really eat that much candy or sweets in general, i prefer fruitsalads and smoothies, frozen berries, oatmeal cakes etc., but i honestly believe that the best way to lose weight/build muscle/be healthy/W.E. is to not diet to restricted.

    Enjoy yourself! It IS christmas, after all.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    too many people worry about what they eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when they should be worrying about what they eat between Christmas and Thanksgiving.