Starting a diet before a holiday....am I crazy

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draniolo
draniolo Posts: 1 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I heard my doctor say I noticed that, when I confessed I'd gained weight. 20 ugly pounds and I can't hide from it anymore.

I am really afraid that my age (55) and recent health will make this very hard. I have been a dieter before only once when I was a teen did I get close to this weight.

My husband needs to lose also. We sabotage each other. This is day one.

Replies

  • into_fitness
    into_fitness Posts: 91 Member
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    You are not the only one dieting before the Holidays. I started last Monday dieting and hope to continue it well past Christmas. You just have to try your best to eat well during the Holidays, but I wouldn't go TOO crazy with counting calories on Thanksgiving and Christmas/Christmas Eve. Those are days for being with family, enjoying the holiday, and eating and drinking. Don't beat yourself up over those days and just do super well all of the rest.

    Regardless of your age, those who are on here are looking towards a healthier and fit future. We are all in the same boat! I am 22 and have about 20 pounds to lose, so I am with ya sista.

    we got this! Just try hard, stay focused, and have as much will power as you can! It may seem hard and unmotivating at first, but think of the end result and know that we are all here for you!

    My sister actually wrote some motivational sayings on my whiteboard in my room and I chuckled when I read this one -

    "Do it for the 'holy *kitten* you got hot'"! and "This months choices are next months body"!

    We got this :)
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    If you and your husband truly sabotage each other, then perhaps some counseling is in order.
  • DeterminedFee201426
    DeterminedFee201426 Posts: 859 Member
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    nope not at all. i started on Halloween :# a holiday as well
  • mlrtri
    mlrtri Posts: 425 Member
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    I am on the same crazy train. I started my weight loss journey on Monday. I am not willing to continue down the path I was traveling down. That means calorie deficits during the holiday season. Hard, but not impossible. If we can manage during this season, think how great we will do after it has passed.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Some advice.....you're not crazy. Instead of a "diet" ....or a temporary project (of sorts) look at this as a lifestyle change. You are starting to change your lifestyle today. You will need some permanent changes to keep the weight from creeping back up. I'm older too, and have personal experience with this "creeping" part.

    Make better decisions about food and exercise and the weight will come off AND stay off. You don't have to make perfect decisions (all the time).....just better ones most of the time. Give yourself permission to eat your favorite Thanksgiving foods and not feel guilty. Log everything you eat and you will find places for improvement.

    Welcome to MFP (My Fitness Pal) and here are some threads....that should be stickies.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets


  • sdj8
    sdj8 Posts: 2 Member
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    I also started a workout program this week. It sure helps get you through the holidays. It also helps if your biggest enabler (in your case your husband, in mine, my best friend) is on board with it and right there with you.

    We can do it! :-)
  • irejuvenateme
    irejuvenateme Posts: 96 Member
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    Good for you! I also have been getting back to health and back on mfp - right in time for the holidays - logging may help damage control things - just know it's a process, one day at a time right?

    Good luck! Feel free to add me.
  • wissabear
    wissabear Posts: 62 Member
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    Not crazy at all! The time we overindulge is a great time to start because it'll help you think before you stuff! At least that's how its been working for me. Also if I eat it I have to log it, and I get lazy, so I wont always eat it :)
  • kimmywilliams1110
    kimmywilliams1110 Posts: 13
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    You can't think of it as a diet, it's a lifestyle change. I've been doing this for about 6 months without any help from my husband, (he's blessed to be naturally thin and can eat whatever he wants) if we want ice cream, we get ice cream, it's all about balance. If we're planning on going out to eat, I work out harder and longer. Set small goals at first and then as you reach them reassess.
  • Mdeblasi01
    Mdeblasi01 Posts: 6 Member
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    Cut beverage calories (soda, juice, etc) and remove any junk food from your home. On the holidays eat more of the foods that are high in protein and less of the ones high in carbohydrates. I was contemplating eating some stuffing the other day, but when I seen the portion on my food scale I had no problem tossing it out. It's hard when you live with people who don't care about their own health, my family is that way. Try to get your husband more involved. I don't know if I'm correct, but I think I read that our metabolism doesn't slow down as much as we think as we get older. Older people probably tend to gain weight because they don't move as much, and even more so in the winter months. It's more about diet than exercise anyways, you can do it, but you have to remove the temptations from your home if that's where you spend a majority of you time! Good luck!
  • cinnamon471
    cinnamon471 Posts: 34 Member
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    I am just starting too. i Have done it before but quit . I think it is a good time so i dont over do it. I have alot to lose for me, 50 . I had foot surgery in sept . Bone spur and where they do the ligiment release. Still healing. I Cant wait to get back to normal. But I dont think of this as a diet. I think of this as a change of life. I am 51.I could use some buddies if u want to add me cinnamon 471
  • digitalcanuck
    digitalcanuck Posts: 60 Member
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    I echo the fact that it is a lifestyle change not a diet. Learn about your body and what it needs to thrive. If we learn about ourselves and make food choices that fit, we are better able to evolve our lifestyle as we get older. Until I chose to reset my lifestyle I hated cooking. Now I love experimenting with foods that make me stronger and are just plain yummy. Food is meant to be sustenance and enjoyable. There is no need to suffer. Explore, learn, and grow stronger. I never knew what I was missing out on until I did a reset.

    Feel free to add me if you need any encouragement.

    Lisa
  • SLHysell
    SLHysell Posts: 247 Member
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    Don't diet at all. Change your life. The only way to lose weight and keep it off is to permanently change how you think about food. Make the change today and you can still have great holiday treats. Just keep in mind that it is always a long term proposition. A day here or a big meal there won't hurt you if you stay slow and steady on your new lifestyle for the long haul.
  • epido
    epido Posts: 353 Member
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    I started my weight loss journey a week before Halloween last year. By the first of this year, I had lost between 30-35 pounds (I don't remember the exact number now.), and am currently at 82 pounds lost.

    You can do this during the holidays, and you can still have all the yummy treats that go along with them. You just have to do it in moderation.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    The best time to start is *always* NOW.

    As my husband put it recently, I am eating more responsibly these days.

    And moving more, but no one ever asks why you are working out, they just want to know why you are't eating/ eating more.

    If you are concerned that your health issues will affect your ability to lose weight, consult with your doctor, a dietician who specializes in your particular concern, and/or a physical therapist, as appropriate.
  • ViolaLeeBlueberry
    ViolaLeeBlueberry Posts: 182 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Totally agree it's not "a diet" ... I don't do diets at all ... it's about lifestyle! Basically this is just a useful way to track/log and make yourself accountable. And what the heck, why not before the holidays? Let's be real. You're going to gain anyway. Why not lose some, gain a bit back, get good at losing (and exercising and eating more healthily) so it's easier to lose (and less depressing to gain), lose, gain, lose and end up okay :smile:

    I've been in the middle of holidays for a few months LOL. Am in a multicultural family, not living in the US, so had a bunch of holidays in Sept/Oct and now heading into Thanksgiving/Xmas bwahaha ... it's fine, I've been losing steadily in spite of the crazy lineup of double holidays (and am around your age and not exactly starting out as a lean marathon-running fitness buff LOL) ... you can too!!! Welcome!

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