Increasing Calories for Christmas?
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Last Thanksgiving, I took a 10 day vacation and went home to Massachusetts. This is not a trip we make often and there is very little good Italian food in the south, so I ENJOYED food during my trip! However, instead of pigging out, I ate normal (which were small to me) portions of food. I felt like I ate a ton of food, but I gained no weight during that 10 days. Needless to say, I was thrilled!0
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Sounds very health to me!0
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Oh, and back to the original topic: Luckily, my big holidays for the year are over and done with -- Rosh Hashanah (Jewish High Holidays), followed almost immediately by (Canadian) Thanksgiving. I indulged so much during those holidays that the subsequent weight gain was what drove me to start back up at MFP and embark on a serious weight loss plan in the first place.
So, take it from me: Don't do it. It's not worth it.
You can still enjoy the holidays. Eat everything. Just less of it. And hit the gym the next day.
(The good news is, Christmas is a non-issue for me... and hopefully by the time Passover rolls around in the spring, I'll have this food control thing down to a science.)0 -
Your calorie goal now seems awfully low. If you jump straight to 2100 from 1210, I suspect you will have some water retention.Hey there.
So I'm going to up my calories for over christmas(starting maybe the 20th December). Ill be switching from losing to mantaining then back again afterwards.
First off, is this a good idea/healthy?
Also, should I slowly increase like start a few weeks before and increase or does it matter?
My calorie intake now is 1210 and will be 2100.(both according to mfp)
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In order not to gain, you must be meticulous with your portions and logging, as well as exercise estimates if you eat your calories back, because there really is no margin of error. I think it's exciting that you are planning ahead for the holidays.
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Thanks for all the responses guys!0
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I too am afraid of the holidays and what it will bring. I enjoy the homemade goodies but realize that is what got me where I am now. I will have to remain in control and 'accountable' for myself. hope I have the willpower to do it.0
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sandymayhew2014 wrote: »I too am afraid of the holidays and what it will bring. I enjoy the homemade goodies but realize that is what got me where I am now. I will have to remain in control and 'accountable' for myself. hope I have the willpower to do it.
If I may be frank...
Homemade goodies, etc. did not get to you where you are now (assuming "where you are" is "overweight" (by any amount)). Eating more than your body requires is what caused you to gain weight. I eat goodies (both homemade and store bought) and am still losing weight because I work those things into my daily calorie allowance.
Enjoy the holidays, enjoy the family/company, and enjoy less of the food than you used to, and you won't have to worry about derailing your efforts because of a holiday.
Remember that holidays will exist forever, even if you're not dieting. You need to learn how to effectively manage them now, so that when you've reached goal weight you don't over-indulge and slide back into your old ways.0 -
I'm probably going to lower my deficit around Christmas too, from 750 calories to 500. I'll be right around 40 pounds to go at that point anyway, so if it wasn't then I'd be doing it right after the New Year.0
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I'm probably going to lower my deficit around Christmas too, from 750 calories to 500. I'll be right around 40 pounds to go at that point anyway, so if it wasn't then I'd be doing it right after the New Year.
Yeah but be careful: When you reduce your calorie deficit, you have to reduce it *from* a lower number. Because you now weigh less than you used to (congrats!), your body burns fewer calories simply by existing every day. So your starting point is lower.
It's a good rule of thumb to recalculate TDEE and target calories every 10lbs or so.0 -
I'm more of the log it and move on philosophy, but that would be for a day. I'm not to the point personally where I would be okay for a whole week, unless I was on a diet break.0
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This is so true.I'm probably going to lower my deficit around Christmas too, from 750 calories to 500. I'll be right around 40 pounds to go at that point anyway, so if it wasn't then I'd be doing it right after the New Year.
Yeah but be careful: When you reduce your calorie deficit, you have to reduce it *from* a lower number. Because you now weigh less than you used to (congrats!), your body burns fewer calories simply by existing every day. So your starting point is lower.
It's a good rule of thumb to recalculate TDEE and target calories every 10lbs or so.
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I'm probably going to lower my deficit around Christmas too, from 750 calories to 500. I'll be right around 40 pounds to go at that point anyway, so if it wasn't then I'd be doing it right after the New Year.
Yeah but be careful: When you reduce your calorie deficit, you have to reduce it *from* a lower number. Because you now weigh less than you used to (congrats!), your body burns fewer calories simply by existing every day. So your starting point is lower.
It's a good rule of thumb to recalculate TDEE and target calories every 10lbs or so.
I know, I've been here since January. My deficit will go from 750 calories under maintenance (1.5 pounds per week) to 500 calories under (1 pound per week). Trust me, if I were only eating 750 calories I would NOT be happy!0 -
I know, I've been here since January. My deficit will go from 750 calories under maintenance (1.5 pounds per week) to 500 calories under (1 pound per week). Trust me, if I were only eating 750 calories I would NOT be happy!
Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough.
What I meant was, let's say for example, you had calculated your TDEE at 2000 calories, and were eating 1350 for a deficit of 750.
After losing the first X pounds, you now want to reduce your deficit to 500. But instead of doing 2000-500 = 1500, now you might have to do, say, 1800-500 = 1300. Because your TDEE dropped from 2000 to 1800 since you've lost the weight.
Does that make sense?
(I'm sure you already know this. Just for the benefit of anyone else reading the thread, I figured I'd clarify.)0 -
For Thanksgiving I will eat in moderation. Its not a huge gorge fest for me because I don't crave Thanksgiving foods. Probably helps that I don't like Pumpkin or Pecan pie. However, for Christmas we make carne asada tacos as our traditional meal. That day I will not be counting...I will be enjoying.
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I know, I've been here since January. My deficit will go from 750 calories under maintenance (1.5 pounds per week) to 500 calories under (1 pound per week). Trust me, if I were only eating 750 calories I would NOT be happy!
Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough.
What I meant was, let's say for example, you had calculated your TDEE at 2000 calories, and were eating 1350 for a deficit of 750.
After losing the first X pounds, you now want to reduce your deficit to 500. But instead of doing 2000-500 = 1500, now you might have to do, say, 1800-500 = 1300. Because your TDEE dropped from 2000 to 1800 since you've lost the weight.
Does that make sense?
(I'm sure you already know this. Just for the benefit of anyone else reading the thread, I figured I'd clarify.)
Yes it does. When I started out on here I was eating about 1900. My goal now is 1570 after losing 51 pounds, and it will probably change in one or two weeks.0 -
Since I follow OMAD, Thanksgiving and Christmas are not going to be a problem. I will probably overdo it on both holidays, but they come only once a year and I can easily drop the weight in the weeks afterward. Enjoy the holidays; so few enjoy them anymore because of all the silly materialism and arguing over the religious aspect.0
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I think, OK I personally stick to my diet except on a special occasion I will have say cake on my birthday, but we go out and share this yummy piece of cake... but those days, holidays etc. are days to splurge and the rest of the time I stay on track and mainly because you get back into the habit of eating more, then a bit more and it's real hard when you realize you're gaining to get back in the swing of things again.0
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ActuarialChef wrote: »sandymayhew2014 wrote: »I too am afraid of the holidays and what it will bring. I enjoy the homemade goodies but realize that is what got me where I am now. I will have to remain in control and 'accountable' for myself. hope I have the willpower to do it.
If I may be frank...
Homemade goodies, etc. did not get to you where you are now (assuming "where you are" is "overweight" (by any amount)). Eating more than your body requires is what caused you to gain weight. I eat goodies (both homemade and store bought) and am still losing weight because I work those things into my daily calorie allowance.
Enjoy the holidays, enjoy the family/company, and enjoy less of the food than you used to, and you won't have to worry about derailing your efforts because of a holiday.
Remember that holidays will exist forever, even if you're not dieting. You need to learn how to effectively manage them now, so that when you've reached goal weight you don't over-indulge and slide back into your old ways.
I understand what both you (Sandy and Actuarial) are saying. I also perceive that Sandy is aware that overeating ultimately led to weight gain, but that she's saying too many cookies pushed her over her calorie goals.ActuarialChef wrote: »sandymayhew2014 wrote: »I too am afraid of the holidays and what it will bring. I enjoy the homemade goodies but realize that is what got me where I am now. I will have to remain in control and 'accountable' for myself. hope I have the willpower to do it.
If I may be frank...
Homemade goodies, etc. did not get to you where you are now (assuming "where you are" is "overweight" (by any amount)). Eating more than your body requires is what caused you to gain weight. I eat goodies (both homemade and store bought) and am still losing weight because I work those things into my daily calorie allowance.
Enjoy the holidays, enjoy the family/company, and enjoy less of the food than you used to, and you won't have to worry about derailing your efforts because of a holiday.
Remember that holidays will exist forever, even if you're not dieting. You need to learn how to effectively manage them now, so that when you've reached goal weight you don't over-indulge and slide back into your old ways.
While it is 100% right for me, and it also sounds like it might be right for you, Actuarial, to portion the treats out and have some, there are other people who cannot do this and must refrain from eating them. An example is when my cousin and I were on vacation last month. I have lost weight and have been maintaining, she is on a weight loss journey. I had sweets in moderation, offered her some, and what did she say?
"No thanks. I'm not there yet."
Everybody has their own process, and what is right for one person might not be right for another. 0 -
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Just curious-what is OMAD?Since I follow OMAD, Thanksgiving and Christmas are not going to be a problem. I will probably overdo it on both holidays, but they come only once a year and I can easily drop the weight in the weeks afterward. Enjoy the holidays; so few enjoy them anymore because of all the silly materialism and arguing over the religious aspect.
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I plan on eating within my calories except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Those days I will try to eat reasonable portions, but I'm going eat everything I like, and not track. I just recently broke a long time plateau, so I want to continue losing even over the holidays. My limit is about 1600 cal/day before exercise, to lose 1.5 lbs/wk.0
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In went to maintenance for the 10 days between my rehearsal dinner, wedding, and honeymoon. I gained 1.5 lbs. The next week, I lost 2.5 lbs. Then the week after, I lost 1.8 lbs. I only have my settings set to .5 lb loss/week and I eat roughly 1400 - 1900 cal/day (gross, not net). I am within my last 10 lbs!!! (I can't believe I can actually say that!) I am 31 y/o, 5' 4.5".
TL:DR If you're being mindful, indulging on the things that really make you happy, and then get back on track soon after, you'll be fine. (Maybe also try to include cardio - extra walking fits in nicely with family.) Weight loss isn't linear, this isn't a race, and we have to figure out how to live our lives beyond being on a "diet."0
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