Anybody Else Taking the Xmas Break?

So im taking a xmas break from measuring and weighing and eating strictly healthy. Im treating myself pretty much everyday to sweets and whatever I want acutally. Im not over weight by any means. I just want to lose fat % and I plan to do that in the New Year. For now, I wanna eat and have fun! I have just completed StrongLifts for 12 weeks - Im taking a little break from that too. Starting a whole new plan up for Janurary. Im still not going to log though, I am safe eyeballing food - done it before and it worked. Healthy in moderation works. As for exercise, I will get it when i feel like it over these holidays. Prob in the form of shovelling snow, sledding and cc skiing. Might get a bit of lifting in there too. Never know. Anyways, this is about a 3.5 week break for me and im gonna enjoy it. Anybody else doing this sort of thing? Thanks for sharing in advance.
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Replies

  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    I'm actually going the other way and ramping up my running and tightening up on my calories until new year :)

    However, I don't blame you one bit! Have a great festive period!!
  • F00LofaT00K
    F00LofaT00K Posts: 688 Member
    Nope. I know if I take a break that long I won't want to get back on track. I'm not counting calories for Christmas dinner and will probably not eat much before that meal, but I couldn't take a whole break. I'm in this for a lifestyle change. I didn't count Thanksgiving and I won't count Christmas because once I reach my goal weight I won't be doing that. I also don't deprive myself of sweets entirely. I think I had a lot of sugar this week actually... so a break for me would really just be me stuffing my face with all kinds of sweets and gaining back the 16bs I lost already.
  • Lahaygood
    Lahaygood Posts: 1 Member
    just had a 3 week break, due to lots of travel, from being faithful to my logging so I'm logging again and will continue through the Christmas holidays. My next goal is to add more regular exercise, zumba and yoga being my choices.
    Merry Christmas,
    Leigh Anne
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I'm taking Xmas on a date.
  • Squidgeypaws007
    Squidgeypaws007 Posts: 1,012 Member
    Have just been thinking of this! Have decided to eat loosely at maintenance for the next three weeks whilst keeping my exercise routine intact (or I'd never get back into the swing of it!).

    Anyway, hope you enjoy your break :D
  • LishLash79
    LishLash79 Posts: 562 Member
    Ill prob wake up when its morning and try to sleep at night. I might eat some food too once in a while.. perhaps lift something heavy like a crocodile, as long as it does not bite me.. cause that would suck
  • Nope. I know if I take a break that long I won't want to get back on track. I'm not counting calories for Christmas dinner and will probably not eat much before that meal, but I couldn't take a whole break. I'm in this for a lifestyle change. I didn't count Thanksgiving and I won't count Christmas because once I reach my goal weight I won't be doing that. I also don't deprive myself of sweets entirely. I think I had a lot of sugar this week actually... so a break for me would really just be me stuffing my face with all kinds of sweets and gaining back the 16bs I lost already.
    \

    Don't think you would ever gain 16lbs in 3weeks!
  • Avandel
    Avandel Posts: 283 Member
    Enjoying myself while eating at maintenance! :smile:
  • Have just been thinking of this! Have decided to eat loosely at maintenance for the next three weeks whilst keeping my exercise routine intact (or I'd never get back into the swing of it!).

    Anyway, hope you enjoy your break :D

    Similar to this. Trying to stay at my goal most days but not sticking to it rigidly on the festive days. I had a monte cristo at Disneyland this weekend, followed by three drinks, lol.
  • For sure! I'm off to Tenerife. Will be doing a lot more walking -in the sun - so, hopefully, that will help burn excess calories off.
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,898 Member
    christmas and christmas eve i wont be counting calories but thats it, I took a week break in august for my wedding, and just now getting back, breaks are bad for me
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,098 Member
    No, I'll actually be ramping up the exercise, since I'll have a lot of time off work, and I'm on a one-month "trial" (actually a Living Social coupon) at a new (to me) gym, and I want to try as much of what they have to offer as I can before I decide whether to join at full price. I'm looking forward to trying different kinds of classes I haven't taken before, as well as making use of the cardio machines and weights, maybe even the pool.

    I plan to continue logging my food, too. It's a habit now, and I don't want to lose the habit. I may eventually want to test whether I can stay on track without logging, but I don't feel like I'm at that point yet. I even logged Thanksgiving, although I didn't try to stay at my normal daily net calorie goal of 1500 (I didn't exercise on Thanksgiving, so no extra calories to eat back). I would have been happy if I came in around 3000 calories for the day, and I actually ended up at 2800, and for that week I "ate into" my planned calorie deficit by about 700 calories, and I still lost a pound (my planned deficit is close to a pound and a half a week). Christmas will be a little more challenging, because of cookie exchanges and what not, but I usually fit a treat (or two) of some kind into my calories every day, so I'll just have to replace my usuals (almond butter toffee, fun-size Snickers, Nutella) with the Christmas treats if I want them.

    OP, it sounds like you'll still be active, just doing different things, so it seems like a very health "break." Enjoy the holidays!
  • Loves418
    Loves418 Posts: 330 Member
    I am trying hard to stay on track. This is a depressing time of year for me; like I am sure for many others. Between medical bills and a huge pay cut for Hubbys salary there are no gifts this year for anyone. I am grateful that my kids are amazing and understand. If I give in to the depression/holiday temptation I will be doomed.....
  • F00LofaT00K
    F00LofaT00K Posts: 688 Member
    Nope. I know if I take a break that long I won't want to get back on track. I'm not counting calories for Christmas dinner and will probably not eat much before that meal, but I couldn't take a whole break. I'm in this for a lifestyle change. I didn't count Thanksgiving and I won't count Christmas because once I reach my goal weight I won't be doing that. I also don't deprive myself of sweets entirely. I think I had a lot of sugar this week actually... so a break for me would really just be me stuffing my face with all kinds of sweets and gaining back the 16bs I lost already.
    \

    Don't think you would ever gain 16lbs in 3weeks!

    Perhaps not, but I know it would take a lot of effort for me to get back on track. It would end up being 5 or 6 or 10 weeks. But I hope you enjoy your break and eat all kinds of extra yummy stuff!
  • bobf279
    bobf279 Posts: 342 Member
    I am still overweight albeit a lot lighter than this time last year so no I won't be taking a break. Exercising and eating better are a way of life now so it shouldn't be too difficult to keep on track especially as I have just come off a 3 month plateau.
  • ClementineGeorg
    ClementineGeorg Posts: 505 Member
    I usually take a break from logging when I go visit my family (Christmas too) because it's a little frustating to log without my scale. But I take care what I eat and about portions. In my family there isn't to much of `meal` celebration. We just eat normal stuff, like everyday. Where are mostly celebrating that we have some days off and can't see each other. I see my family 3 times a year.

    On New Year Eve I'll just eat like everyday, in my calorie goal and just eat whatever I want and dance like crazy. I did that on Thursday at my workplace Christmas party. The dancing burned all the extra calories apparently and I'm still on the normal track. Off course, I didn't eat my soul out; but I did get some in.
  • ronrstaats
    ronrstaats Posts: 294 Member
    I am taking a small break but it has nothing to do with the holidays and more to do with just a lot of other crap going on. I am still going to the gym and trying to keep my foods on track but I am not beating myself up if I go off track for a day or two.
  • anne2605
    anne2605 Posts: 482 Member
    I'm at maintenance and I have a spare few lbs to play around with, so I'm not logging over the Christmas week. I hope to fit in some exercise though and then, when Jan comes around, I should come out the other end pretty unscathed.
  • Merry Christmas everyone!
  • Saramelie
    Saramelie Posts: 308 Member
    Hell no!! I`ve just started December 1st so I`m fired up!!! Enjoy your Christmas :-)
  • scparke2
    scparke2 Posts: 12 Member
    I'm fighting to stay on track so I will enjoy my CHRISTmas goodies starting next week. On days that I don't have anywhere to go I'll continue my program and the gym. I think once I have my fill, I'll be sick of it and be happy to get back on track...it's just once a year.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,706 Member
    I just today thought about how to deal with the holidays and my vacation from Dec 20th through January 7th.
    Yesterday was my birthday and I allowed myself to eat at maintenance ( 1690 calories ) and even though I ate what I wanted, including cheese cake I only went about 250 calories over my daily allowance.
    I am committed to log and walk each day no matter how much I eat, but I am not going to walk more so I can eat more......I have other, at least for me interesting things to do with my life.
    As long as I maintain, I am not too worried about things....I just don't want to gain, because I am exactly at the halfway point of my planned weight loss.
  • phytogurl
    phytogurl Posts: 671 Member
    I think it's a good idea to take a break every once in a while, and your break couldn't be timed more perfectly. I'll be off from work soon, since I have a chunk of vacation time, and I plan to take advantage of the down time to ride my bike more, bake and maybe get engrossed in a good book! Enjoy your Christmas and your break:)
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    I'm still 1.6 lbs away from losing the 3.8 lbs I gained taking a break over Thanksgiving. :/ So I think I'll stick with the program over Christmas or at least try to stay under maintenance.
  • BePawsitive
    BePawsitive Posts: 43 Member
    I just started on the quest to lose again. I am holding to the philosophy " Eat to live, not live to eat".

    My concerns are coming up with a trip to Disneyland and a 5 day cruise..... ....
  • EvaStrange
    EvaStrange Posts: 59 Member
    I'm going to take a break on Christmas Eve and Day in the sense that I won't log calories and won't think twice about what I'm eating. But I won't stuff my face on purpose or eat anything within sight in an effort to "make the most out of this cheat day".

    And also, since I'll be at my parents' house in the country, I'm going to do a lot of hiking and running in the hills and to take my darling dog out on a whole lot of walks at all hours. :D I'm actually looking forward to this change of scenery in my workout routine.
  • kitticus15
    kitticus15 Posts: 152 Member
    I am not logging food on Christmas eve, Christmas day, Boxing day, new years eve and new years day, gonna exercise still but not xmas or new years day but gonna enjoy my xmas :)
  • I won't make a pig of myself, but it's natural to have a winter feast and celebration humans have been doing it for eons. I will most likely put on anywhere from 3-5 pounds even though I plan on cycling and doing body weight and yoga exercise and thats fine in my world, I do find it hard to do nothing and sitting around gives me back ake. Ill get back to it in earnest after boxing day, I will weigh and measure a couple of weeks after christmas 'after a few days of cardio and working out' and a fast or 3, when I expect any extra pounds to be gone.

    Make Merry and Feast MFP's.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I'm not counting as much, but I'm not going completely off the rails. December is always a bad month with friends parties, work parties, Christmas meals out, etc. At the moment I'm just making healthy choices but not worrying about it so much. Christmas day is a free for all though. :smile:
  • Karababy51
    Karababy51 Posts: 124 Member
    I ate whatever I wanted on Thanksgiving (but tried not to go TOO overboard) and logged it as best I could. Then I went right back to my normal calorie deficit plan. I actually lost weight too, didn't expect that! \o/ I plan on doing the same for Christmas dinner as well. No way am I scrimping on our traditional prime rib roast dinner! YUM! :love:

    Happy Holidays everyone! :heart: