1500 in 15 days - Christmas Goodies Challenge!

SkierElle
SkierElle Posts: 335
edited September 22 in Motivation and Support
Christmas is in 15 days. Whether you're worried about getting your shopping done, getting your decorating done, or avoiding all the goodies - I'd like to propose a fun little challenge.

Let me preface this with in the past, sweets of any kind have been what has kept me from being successful with weight loss. I'm sure many of you have similar difficulties!! So that, along with the fact that I believe Christmas is about so much more than "goodies" and we need to recognize that instead of making it into an excuse to scarf down truffles, cakes and frosted cookies, I would like to propose a challenge to you all.

From today to Dec. 25, ONLY have 1500 calories worth of desserts, goodies, sweets, etc. that contain sugar (or honey, agave, syrup, etc). I'm not saying anything about other sweeteners - that's up to you. So you could have 100 calories a day of sweets or you could have a really good treat twice per week. Make your treats worth it!!!! And record them all, and make them fit within your limit of calories.

This is starting NOW. Not in a couple hours, not tomorrow, but AT THIS VERY MOMENT!

So respond if you're in, and every time you have a dessert, post here what it was, the calories, and oh yeah, if it was totally worth it or not!!!

Also, I challenge everyone to make some sort of healthy Christmas time dessert that doesn't contain sugar (and preferably, not white flour either)!!

Replies

  • LanakilaGirl
    LanakilaGirl Posts: 41 Member
    I think it sounds fun! I totally agree that the Holiday Season, from Thanksgiving to New Year's, has become way to much about food and not enough about family and friends. I think we all either stress to much about what we're eating or use it as an excuse to eat whatever we want, whenever we want it. I want to create a tradition of a HEALTHY, Happy Holiday Season.

    I'm in!
  • MisdemeanorM
    MisdemeanorM Posts: 3,493 Member
    I politely decline :laugh:

    Though, I will stay within my calorie goals, I am fully aware that my calorie choices might not be the most healthy for the next few weeks :happy:
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    That's ok! I just know this is what will work for me, because I feel if I go crazy on the sweets I am going to totally lose motivation and sabotage myself!!
  • LanakilaGirl
    LanakilaGirl Posts: 41 Member
    I just think it sounds fun. I'm always up for a challenge. . .
  • asltiffm
    asltiffm Posts: 521 Member
    I'll join...I need this type of motivation this time of the year.

    You caught me in a moment of weakness. I just ran to the gas station to grab an apple and a chocolate milk. I used to drink 2 cups of chocolate milk with lunch everyday but I haven't had one in 2 weeks so I decided to treat myself today...and just one cup has 210 calories (full fat version). So that's 420 calories. Ok, so you've given me the motivation to stop at 1 cup. And no, it wasn't worth it. :o( It seemed a lot more satisfying in my head.
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    Good for you!! that's just 1/2 of what you would have had, and now you can use those 210 calories for something even yummier. Good job on the apple though. I dont know of many gas stations that have those!

    So as for my little *success* of the day... my friend and I got coffee this morning. I just got a plain latte. but they have mints at the counter, the dessert type that are SO good. and I sometimes have just one. So my friend hands me one and I'm like thanks and stick it in my pocket intending to save it for later. So I was going to eat it when I got home after my test. But I decided to stick it in a drawer. yes it's only one tiny mint. No big deal. But for me, that tiny sugary mint could lead to ice cream, which could lead to brownies, and ya know, the list goes on. After I put it in the drawer I decided to start this challenge.

    I haven't really had many sweets lately. The whole month of November the only thing I had was pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. I've hardly had any this month, but I'm afraid I'll fall off course. So here's to more success! I'm glad two people are joining me.... wish there were more up for the challenge though!! ;-)
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    Ohh, as for the chocolate milk thing, if you really like it: what I do is blend cocoa powder (unsweetened), protein powder, stevia and milk. It's like chocolate milk but no refined sugar! Add some ice and it's like a milkshake!!!
  • ChuckgM3
    ChuckgM3 Posts: 302 Member
    I'm in!
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    Yayyy!! we now have three! I'm gonna put it as my sig and maybe more people will catch on... just maybe...
  • asltiffm
    asltiffm Posts: 521 Member
    I took my choco milk home with me. I was trying to decide what to do with it. I poured it out. That hurt! It isn't worth the calories but it still hurt!
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    good job!! i know, it's hard. I hate wasting stuff :( I think I'm going to go through my cabinets and get rid of all the sugar & refined flour stuff - I've been good at avoiding it but I dont trust myself 100% yet. better yet... I'll donate the unopened stuff to the food bank.
  • LanakilaGirl
    LanakilaGirl Posts: 41 Member
    Good thinking, donating your stuff. I'm already starting the challenge off with a bang! I ate not just one, but two cookies tonight. They weren't really worth it. Here's to hoping tomorrow is better, even though I have a family party. . .
  • LanakilaGirl
    LanakilaGirl Posts: 41 Member
    Oh, yeah, my total calories for the cookies is 274. Seriously! That's almost 3 days worth right there. . . what a waste. That's how AWESOME I am!
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    Yeah, I made a box for my roomies and I to donate stuff and will give it to the food bank. Lots of us are going to family's homes for holidays anyway, so a good time to clear out the cabinets!

    Meh, cookies, you live you learn right?! before I have something i know is bad, I think back to a time I really enjoyed something that was bad, and usually it is a LOT longer ago than you would think. The thing that comes to mind is a pudding (brit style) that I had while studying abroad. creme brulee amazingness. Nothing really compares. I figure if I don't have memories of enjoyment (for longer than a few minutes anyway) it's not worth it.

    But good job for keeping yourself accountable and posting here :) hehe!
  • asltiffm
    asltiffm Posts: 521 Member
    I wish I could clear them out of my cabinets but my DH would probably divorce me. lol He told me he was so desperate that he ate frosting out of a can. He told me he was going to buy some dessert if I didn't make any soon. So I bought a bunch of desserts, all things I don' t like and don't really tempt me too much but that he does like. I figure if it has to be in the house then it should be something I have a chance of avoiding. I left one package of fudge cookies on the counter for him last night and this morning, they were nowhere to be found!
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    Wow, great job buying stuff you don't like! That's an awesome solution! my roommate just suggested we should make this "calorie concoction" that includes butterfingers among a bunch of other bad stuff. The minute that word slipped out of her mouth, I thought... disgusting! I told her I was going to experiment and make a pudding with quinoa, milk, stevia, cinnamon and vanilla extract for a really nice treat. She thought that was crazy.

    When I go to my parents house I'll probably do a bit of baking for fun, but the boys will diminish all of the goodies before I'm tempted. It helps having a dad and brother who are 6'9" and another brother who is well on his way to that height. They have crazy metabolisms...

    So, 2 days into the challenge and I'm still at 0 dessert calories!! Wooot!
  • asltiffm
    asltiffm Posts: 521 Member
    I went to my second Christmas function tonight and they had a bunch of sweets (that's ALL they had). I had to watch everyone else eat them and smell the good smells but I didn't budge...not a single bite. How did the quinoa concoction taste?
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    Wow great job!!! That must have been difficult if they ONLY had sweets. that's not nice! lol
    I am going to try the quinoa thing in a couple days, because right now I have some quinoa in the fridge but it has spices and chicken broth on it, so I figure I'll finish that up first! I think my roommate will go home before she makes her disgusting butterfinger idea!!
    I am doing soo good - so happy about it! First finals I may get through without an ounce of refined sugar!!
  • asltiffm
    asltiffm Posts: 521 Member
    Great job on the no refined sugar!

    I realy like this challenge. It's kept me from eating sweets a few times already! I think the best part is that you asked us to say if it was worth the calories. That actualy makes me think about it...and the answer beforehand is always no, especially to the mediocore cup of hot chocolate I used to have when I got into the office each morning.

    Btw, you said you'd make this challenge harder for next month...how much harder? What were you thinking?
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    Yay! I'm glad it's helped you avoid stuff!!
    As you may have seen on my status, my mom sent me over 2000 calories worth of candy (yup I added it up) AND they are my favorites. salt water taffy, York peppermints, truffle dark chocolate... oh man. I haven't touched a piece of it! Its in the box it came in in my closet. I don't trust myself just to have one piece quite yet. I know that York would be worth the 120 calories, i just cant bring myself to do it quite yet. Maybe when I'm done with finals.

    I've come to know that only a few things are really worth it. Really special homemade stuff (and a few select candies)... there's a few thing I really like at Christmas so I'm saving the cals for that :)

    For January, I am thinking of saying 1000 for the whole month. That's what I want to do myself. Sounds pretty tough, but I think I can do it! Are you game?
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    Ok reporting my first "withdraw" from my 1500!! I'm done with finals! so i had some tiramisu tonight to celebrate! Only went over my cals for the day by 31 - the tiramisu was 430, which leaves me at 1060. These will be saved for the 23-25, hopefully!!

    And just for the record, it was TOTALLY worth it!! whoot!
  • ChuckgM3
    ChuckgM3 Posts: 302 Member
    I'm Still at 1500, I may make a withdrawal this weekend!
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    Awesome Chuck!!

    Oh, I made a mistake - I'm bad at math! actually have 1070 left =) hahaha
  • asltiffm
    asltiffm Posts: 521 Member
    1000 for the month....that sounds doable, I think. I was thinking you were going to say wipe out all white flour from your diet...that is a lot harder even though I replace most white flour with wheat, there are things I still prefer white in.

    It's been a HORRIBLE week for me! On Monday I had a tree fall over on my property which tore apart the fence keeping my dogs and my neighbors dogs from getting into a blood bath. (neither set likes other dogs). It was 5 degrees with the wind chill. Later that night my water pipe froze. I had to go out and save it from bursting. My furnace was only working up to 60 degrees so I was freezing inside too. I wanted to exercise to warm myself up but when I turned the tv on it refused to give me anything other than a blue screen. The next two days were my good days because all I had to deal with was a bad cold from being cold all day. I found out that my dad had a stroke last night. I didn't get to sleep much last night because of the cold. I did manage to exercise to videos the last two days (the tv decided it would work again) despite the cold and I have resisted the cookies I brought home for my DH from a basket someone dropped off at work. I feel like I need a break.
  • asltiffm
    asltiffm Posts: 521 Member
    The past week was no fun. I was sick. Still am. But I am beginning to feel like me again, a little bit. Still at 1290 calories left. I will have some kind of dessert on Christmas but certainly won't use them all. Anyway, I don't know what kind of goodies there will be so it may not be too tempting to me.

    My DH has been hiding his desserts from me and I found his stash during the week while I was at home sick. I wasn't looking for it, I just happened to find it when I went to go get something out of a drawer. But I didn't have a single one...and they were tempting me a bit...especially since I didn't want to cook.

    How's everyone else doing?
  • ChuckgM3
    ChuckgM3 Posts: 302 Member
    Well, my lovely employee Kathy brought me home baked goods for xmas... A tin of about 15 assorted cookies. I had to try one of each (oatmeal, peanutbutter, and chocolate chip)... they are pretty small but I'm going to estimate about 100 cals each so I'm down to 1200 now.
  • ChuckgM3
    ChuckgM3 Posts: 302 Member
    Ugh, more home baked goodies in the office.

    This time I had one cookie and one Brownie... the cookie was prob 100 cals and I'm guessing the brownie was at least 150

    I'm down to 950 now.
  • ChuckgM3
    ChuckgM3 Posts: 302 Member
    Argh! That stuff is too good, had another cookie. 850
  • ChuckgM3
    ChuckgM3 Posts: 302 Member
    I have no idea what my final balance was all I know is that I failed this challenge miserably and went wayyy over.

    This challenge has taught me something though. It may not be this way for everyone, but for me, sugar has an enormously addictive quality... I hadn't really had any over the previous 3 months amd i didnt reslly miss it... But once I started treating myself to a little bit here and there, the more I had to have and the more I rationalized that it was ok... I can see how I've fallen off the wagon so many times before. For some people "just one won't kill you" but for me it seems it will. So back to being strict with myself today... I hope everyone had a great Christmas!
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    Chuck, I completely agree. It's pretty much all or nothing. People don't get that and say that you're depriving yourself and setting yourself up for failure. Sugar is SO addictive.

    I did great until I went to CA and then the rationalization started. It didn't help that I was away from internet connection and MFP for many days at a time. Ugh!! This challenge definitely taught me a lot and I need to take one day at a time. I don't know if there will ever be a time I'll be able to "just have one" treat/dessert/etc.

    I just need to go cold turkey. Again. It worked in November and I can do it again!
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