How are you gonna handle the holidays?

I'm gonna get a print out of my 'before' picture....it makes me cringe to look at it..... and I will stick it to the fridge door to remind me how far I've come and why I don't want to slip back. I also have no intention of stocking the home food cupboards with the usual ton of high calorie non-food (crisps, chocs, mince pies etc)

The good thing is, all family members, bar one, are trying to 'watch their weight' so are happy to accept the considerably reduced menu. We will have Christmas Day dinner with all the trimmings, no holds barred, but that's it. The rest of the time we will have healthy options only. I don't mean a diet of carrot sticks either but well thought out, portion controlled meals, just like I eat every day normally with a few snacks that don't sky rocket the intake.

As for the inevitable eating out at social events, I will be practising the control I have learnt over the past eight months of my journey and making friends aware that I WILL NOT be cajoled into poor choices, that I will find it offensive if they even try.

I see a lot of posts regarding friends and family becoming offended when their meals are turned down but I can never quite understand how that doesn't cut both ways. I don't have the problem thankfully, my family are very supportive but I would certainly tell them if I had to, that them forcing unwanted food on me is just as offensive as me refusing it but only one of those results in MY backside expanding!!

If excess is unavoidable...if there really aren't any 'good' choices available ( I have a couple of events that have pre-set menus so I would have to decline to eat entirely to stay 'in goal', or not attend, and neither of those works for me) I shall instead, get myself onto my elliptical and burn of the excesses.

I had that very scenario last night. I logged the meal I was going to have and it took me 300 calories over goal so I went out, thoroughly enjoyed the meal, then got up this morning and did a 340ish burn on the elliptical to cancel those out. I then exercised as I would have normally....which on a Sunday, normally consists of a nice walk out somewhere.....which I did and burned another 350ish.

I know I sound a bit preachy and like I'm implying that dealing with temptation is easy but that's not the case....I shall struggle at times I'm sure. I shall crumble at times too, of that I have no doubt. I'm just saying I know how I SHOULD deal with it, how I CAN deal with it and how I hope to deal with it. I am pretty damned determined that this will be the first Christmas in my adult life that I will not gain weight.

drink water, concentrate on the strawberries (it's strawberry season here and I love them more than all the other xmas food put together) and remember that if i put on a couple of kilograms i can take em off as well.

I too struggle with binge eating. I am going to be realistic and acknowledge that I will most likely eat more than I normally do on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve/Christmas day- not necessarily more but most likely higher calorie. I am going to try to eat in moderation- but I will allow myself to enjoy some of my favorite treats And, I will realize that this is only a small part of my life- even if I completely go overboard, I will be sure to realize that my eating behavior and healthy living is the big picture- a few days of slip ups do not need to determine how I live the majority of my life!

^^ Exactly that. I'm going to my parents' house for Thanksgiving, and it's usually a three-day food-fest, what with the dinner, the desserts, the wine, going out to dinner one of the other nights, and bagels and lox at breakfast (I try to avoid white carbs because, among other things, I don't have the calorie budget for them once I eat my requisite protein and veggies, and then allow myself a couple of decent snacks in the afternoon). But I figure I'll eat small portions of all my favorite things at the feast dinner, and then try to hold down the extra calories to a few hundred over the course of Friday and Saturday. That means only one or two servings of something I wouldn't normally be able to eat. Also, I plan to take walks each of those days for at least an hour. That will help damage control. And last, I'm trying to build up a larger than usual calorie deficit during this week leading up to the holiday. Maybe 700 calories a day instead of 500. That's a lot for me, but I figure the extra effort is better spent up front than trying to play catch-up afterwards. If I can keep losing a pound a week, I'll be very happy.

Christmas buffet foods that you can have in better versions....


Crisps ........ half fat crisps

cheese ........ half fat cheese

quiche ....... crustless quiche

sausage rolls ....... made with venison sausages (naturally low fat) and filo pastry

pate ....... home cooked livers, blended, no added fats

prawn cocktail ....... prawns with no sauce or very low fat sauce

vol au vents ........ use baked open cup mushrooms or scooped out tomatoes instead of vol au vent cases

cheese and biscuits ......... water biscuits with grated cheese (means you use a lot less but still get the taste)


Christmas dinner reductions...

dry roast your potatoes/parsnips etc

use venison sausages and turkey bacon for 'pigs in blankets'

remove skin from meat

make your own cranberry sauce using low cal sugar/sweetener

buy reduced calorie Christmas pudding, have low fat custard instead of cream

Or have fruit and custard as an alternative



There are lots of ways to still have good food but just not have the level of calories usually associated with it. Also, to make a plate of food up when you want to eat rather than 'lay out' a buffet.

I personally, will be pretty much cutting out booze altogether but if that's not gonna work for you, drink spirits rather than beer, with low cal mixers, buy light wines and alternate each alcoholic drink with a diet soft drink so you can pace yourself.

Log most of the days. Don't log the parties. Understand that one or two days means nothing compared to 365 days. Be thankful I have family to celebrate with and food to eat.

Log most of the days. Don't log the parties. Understand that one or two days means nothing compared to 365 days. Be thankful I have family to celebrate with and food to eat.

This- basically, but remembering that Thanksgiving is ONE day, Christmas is ONE day and New Years is ONE day. I can eat what I want those days, but not for the whole 6 weeks. I have learned my lesson!

I'm not even going to try and track my calories because I won't be cooking. I'm just going to workout in the morning of Thanksgiving, drink plenty of water, and just watch my proportions. Like others are saying, it's just one day out of the year. I don't want to get worried about it so I'm just going to try my best and that's all I can do!

Nothing "makes" me eat. I decide what to eat. I worked too hard and I feel too good to give it up. I met my goal in early December of 2012. I will handle this year's holidays the same way. I exercise a little extra on the days with a major meal and eliminate most of my snacks. That really is only Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. I stay physically away from workrooms at school that have tables laden with stuff I don't plan to eat. I have plenty of food with me to choose instead.

I have maybe two or three parties to attend. I plan to eat a light meal before I go so that I'm not starving. Then I'll nurse a glass of wine and few small treats. That worked fine last year.

I'm going to have some of everything, like usual, but I am going to pay a LOT more attention to my portion sizes than usual. I'll also log honestly, try to get in a good walk after dinner, and the next day, I'll kick *kitten* with my normal routine.

I WILL NOT be cajoled into poor choices, that I will find it offensive if they even try.

I see a lot of posts regarding friends and family becoming offended when their meals are turned down but I can never quite understand how that doesn't cut both ways. I

This, for me, has been one of the mid-level keys of the number you see below. (Major keys were calories and sugars)