How to not eat junk and gain weight over Christmas?

Exercise in the days leading up so you have a calorie deficit going in. Explain to mum that you've worked really hard and don't let her fix your plate. If you binge, move on and don't beat yourself up. (I've let a single binge ruin my diet in previous attempts--no more!!!) Remember that even if you come back a little heavier, it takes 3500 extra calories to form a pound and it's likely water weight because you probably didn't drink your eight glasses a day/ate too many salty foods.

Start building up a bank of calories right now, say 50 - 100 less per day until Christmas as long as it is healthy for you to do so, and you're not going under your BMR. Considering Christmas is 39 days away, that'll give you an extra 1950 - 3900 calories in the grand scheme of things. You'll lose about an extra pound from your normal progression, but then you'll make it back up by eating however you want over the holiday.

After that, just return to exactly what you're doing now, and you'll be no worse off than you were before.

I have stopped smoking and drinking, however, I have a terrific sweet tooth. This is my greatest weaknest, and the holidays are filled with rich desserts. I am worried too.

I save up some calories from a few weeks, and use those vacation days to take lots of family hikes, and throw in some extra workouts after it's all over. Enjoy the holiday food, it's only once a year.

Moderation if you can. If you can't, just tell yourself that one cookie will lead to 2... then 6, and just don't eat that first cookie until Christmas day.

It's my plan this year, who knows if I'll have the willpower though. Or just enjoy it and lose the weight in January like everyone else, lol!

thoselittlechanges wrote: »

So I'm flying back to see my Mum for Christmas, and I just know theres going to be loads of junk food. Quality street, gingerbread, mince pies, Christmas cake - its endless! I would love to know how I can resist all of these temptations and save my treat day for Christmas day.
I really do not want to gain any weight - I just want to eat as healthy as I can. But its harder than it is for me right now, as my mum likes to give big portions and make desserts etc, like most mothers basically haha.
I have come so far and really, REALLY, do not want December to be my undoing.
Thank you

I hear you!
My mum is big on feeding people, and her portions are massive! When I go home this year I'll be making up my own plate on the day..

However, I'm visting home for over 2 weeks!! And there's great food everywhere, lovely baking and cooking, wines and beers... delicious!
So, while I accept that I will eat a bit more than I should, I'm trying to pre-empt a total crash by getting others involved.

My sister, whose house I will spend half my time, is also spending a bit more time on health, so I've set a challenge for her to join me on MY goal of running a straight 5k on 31st December while I'm home. It'll coincide with the projected end of my C25K plan, and will help people support and encourage me in training while I'm on my holiday break rather than just eating and drinking for 2 weeks straight!

So I think it's alright to indulge if we also keep up the routine exercises that we're getting in to the habit of too. And maybe if you set yourself a mini-goal during the holidays, then that will help balance it out?

I'm definitely not forgoing my mum's cooking and baking!!

When you see a bad food, think of what you don't like about it. Pick one that you like, though, so you can indulge on that one thing at Christmas, like a piece of pie. For example, sugar cookies (them being ubiquitous), think about how you would feel if you ate a dozen, what you would look & feel like after eating a dozen every day for a week. Do this before your hand goes out to the 1st one, and just say no.

Commit to not eating between meals, keep your portion sizes small during the meal, and eat slowly. No one realizes you're eating less than them if you finish after them. While eating less on the days leading up to it works, don't weigh during the time you're doing that or you'll still feel like you gained weight over Christmas.

Last month, my family had to go to England because my husband's mother died unexpectedly. The entire time we were over there, I think I mostly ate oatmeal, coffee, slabs of Dairy Milk, endless little sachets of McCoy's cheddar and onion crisps, chicken nuggets, the occasional ready meal, and every meal out involved dessert. And chips. Lots of chips. I tried walking around when I could, but in the end, the scale said I was up 4 pounds when we got back, just in time for Halloween and its endless packets of chocolate. Three weeks later, I'm down again.

When I think about past years' holidays, I don't remember much except whether I was trying to lose weight and how frustrating and annoying everyone was being about it, and in retrospect, I'm sure they didn't appreciate my staring in horror at a casserole and demanding a full list of ingredients and preparation techniques before I would allow any on my plate.

My advice is to try to eat healthy when you can, take some walks (this aggravates people who don't care about their health less than saying you're exercising), but eat the tasty food and enjoy your time with your family. Obviously, if a person is diabetic, they can't just go wild and pick up where they left off after New Year's, but if you're just trying to lose weight, don't bring that to the holidays. It will just make all your holiday memories something like, "That time Aunt Mary gave me a box of chocolates even though she KNEW I was trying to lose weight because she's fat and just wants everyone else to be!" Take the boxes of chocolate home with you and give them away, if you want to.

Is there a houseful of people? Lots of yakking & laughing & commotion? Get outside and go for big walks. Have a cup of liquid at all times in your hand (it can be water in a coffee cup). Move around on your feet lots, dodging the layden plates & trays. At dinner time fillup on protein so the temptation is gone. Skip putting "everything" on your plate. Fill 1/2 your plate with green salad so it takes up more room on the plate, not leaving very much room for starchy fattening type food. Drink a sugar-free sweet drink for your dessert. And don't make a big deal of anything...that just draws attention to yourself. Keep quiet about what you're doing, listen to others yammer on about their issues.... Just some ideas.

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I went on a cruise this summer and could not log my food (no internet). Beforehand I set my calories to maintenance just to get an idea of what that would be. Since I was used to weighing my food and knew how many calories were in many things, I sort of felt out maintenance for 8 days. I exercised too. I ate mostly whatever I wanted (give or take a few lower calories dinner options 3 nights) and did not gain an OUNCE.

This is my plan for Christmas too.

thoselittlechanges wrote: »

So I'm flying back to see my Mum for Christmas, and I just know theres going to be loads of junk food. Quality street, gingerbread, mince pies, Christmas cake - its endless! I would love to know how I can resist all of these temptations and save my treat day for Christmas day.
I really do not want to gain any weight - I just want to eat as healthy as I can. But its harder than it is for me right now, as my mum likes to give big portions and make desserts etc, like most mothers basically haha.
I have come so far and really, REALLY, do not want December to be my undoing.
Thank you

Are you at a place where you can try out moderation? Maybe have a bite of something you want instead of a bigger piece?

Otherwise, I suggest steering clear of the snack table and busying yourself with other things.

Honestly, and I'm from the UK also, I adore quality street and the like. I go for it on Christmas. That worry that you're gonna gain heaps will be in the back of your mind, but do not worry about it! You're not likely to gain much, if at all. It's one day, if you go for boxing day, two. It's a lifestyle, there are highs and lows to it, sometimes you'll gain, plateau, lose. Not all lose.

#1 - You have a great network of friends here who can help you through this. There is a ton of great advice in the posts above ^^^^

#2 - If you are like me, you really love your MPF app. When I am feeling a bit of temptation I open it up and look at the graph of my weight - it's a beautiful downward line. I like to keep it heading in that direction, as I think you would, too.
Show off your progress to your mom and family. Show them the app, explain how helpful it's been to you. I know it sounds corny, but my folks (who are in their 70's) love to learn about new apps for their phones. They never use them, but they love to learn about them. Show all the different foods that are part of the database. Show the nutritional value, show the hard targets you try to hit for your macros, (fats, protein, carbs), Make it a game that they can play too. I'll be they would love to play, especially if you are the one who gets to eat.