Holiday Eating and Parties... How do you survive the Holidays?

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CrainT1
CrainT1 Posts: 25 Member
in Motivation and Support
Okay everyone I want to know some of your tips to ensure safe and sane Holidays with little to NO weight gain. I know the usual try healthier alternatives (which is great if you are in control of all the items on the menu), but when you visit others homes??? So let’s start a list going of all the good ideas everyone can think of to get us through the holidays!!!
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Replies

  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    Eat at maintenance. You won't gain, and you can enjoy your food.
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
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    First off always bring yourself a safe snack/side dish and enough to share. I always offer to help setting up, food prep, occupying the kids, maybe take the dog for a walk and so on, if that's not an option I make myself a drink, a little wine and a lot of selzter for a nice wine spritzer, keeps at least 1 hand busy. I personally don't eat the foods I could get anytime especially if I didn't prepare them. I see people make mashed potatoes and cringe so that's an item I never have on holidays.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,710 Member
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    Pretty sure my "methods" are unpopular, but they work for me:
    1. I dislike eating differently than I normally do simply because of the date on the calendar. Holiday foods don't interest me.
    2. I don't eat food that's been sitting out. No telling if it is still safe to eat.
    3. I generally don't eat foods other people prepare (other than close family). No telling if it was handled properly.
    4. I dislike the large quantities of food consumed simply because it is "the season". How about donating all that extra food purchased to a food bank or homeless shelter? Or give them the money you'd spend on extra food? Or volunteer at one of those places on your "holiday" and give back?
    This is just my personal opinion. I'm not saying anyone else should either do these things or agree. Wonder if I'll get flagged for this? Oh well.
  • chriscolh
    chriscolh Posts: 127 Member
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    it's all about portion control for me. I try to eat at a deficit when I am in control of my food, and when I go to a party, if I see something that I won't get a chance to try any other time of the year, I will try it. It helps to not go these parties hungry, also. Eating more balanced, low calorie, filling food before I go keeps me from devouring every bit of yummy creamy deliciousness that the host might put before me.
    It's a battle, that's true, but if you try to balance what you eat at home with the parties, you will do fine!
    Good luck!
  • DigitalDiana
    DigitalDiana Posts: 157 Member
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    Pickles! & fresh veggies...my go to at a party.
  • NoelFigart1
    NoelFigart1 Posts: 1,276 Member
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    Portion control. And I often bring seltzer. It looks like a drink with a slice of lemon, but isn't.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Concentrate on the important things - the people. I get so busy talking and milling around I sometimes forget to eat.
  • court_alacarte
    court_alacarte Posts: 219 Member
    edited November 2014
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    honestly, i would take it one day at a time. if you know there's a party coming up with lots of tempting food, maybe just eat small snacks throughout the day and work out. i'm an absolute foodie and love exploring new tastes so i personally would plan for the day and save my calories for the occasion.
  • stopdropandlose
    stopdropandlose Posts: 162 Member
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    Eating at maintenance is a good idea.

    Portion control is also key. Eat what you want, just not a whole plate full.
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
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    To be honest, and I know this doesn't work for many, I can easily avoid the holiday parties and whatnot food wise as I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to eggs. Thus, 99% of what is usually at these parties and brought in is homemade with one or both of those ingredients so I can't eat them anyways. I make myself some delicious that I know I'll want and that's that. Again, I realize that's not what most people can do but you did ask for what our personal tips were, this is mine.

    I'd say the first comment of eating at maintenance instead of loss sounds like a good idea though.
  • justcat206
    justcat206 Posts: 716 Member
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    I always eat a healthy breakfast (and/or lunch) and have a healthy snack before the big meal - then let myself eat anything I want, just for that meal. If I'm not starving when I get there I've found I don't really wind up eating that many more calories than at a normal meal (as long as I stop when full). And I try to plan my calories the next couple days to allow for leftovers without going over my goal. I've never been super careful, honestly, but I've also never gained weight over a holiday - I think stopping when you're full and not grazing between meals (or sticking to veggies) is the key there.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Eat food in appropriate quantities and portions...you don't have to stuff your face until the button of your pants explodes.

    It's not the food that will make you fat...it's eating *kitten* tons of it that will make you fat.

    Also, the actual holidays themselves I do whatever I want...nobody got fat because of a couple of days and special occasions...just don't treat the whole season as some reason to binge out. If you're attending a part or something the just eat lighter during the day...again...it's about how much you're eating, not so much what you're eating.

    I would also suggest that other than the deserts, most holiday food is what I would consider pretty "healthy"...at least in my family, it's pretty much lean protein (Turkey/Ham), lot of veg, squash, and root veggies.
  • daniel9797
    daniel9797 Posts: 32 Member
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    I want a little of everything when I go to a party/special occasion, so I use plastic eating spoons to put stuff on my plate. Doing that, I don't have to put a whole spoon full of that one dish on my plate, just 3 or 4 bites of it. Instead of grazing at the dessert table, graze at the fresh veggies table. Just my personal opinion.
    (and yes it is clean plastic spoons I use, I always bring a pack or two as part of my contribution)
  • BruceHedtke
    BruceHedtke Posts: 358 Member
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    If you're talking about "parties", I would say watch your portions, fill up on the healthy while tasting the decadent and save some calories for that night.

    But, when it comes to the big Holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July ((Mothers Day for me)) or something like a Super Bowl party), I say just let go for one day. Don't worry too much about calories. MFP should be used as a site where you learn how to live healthy and if you're a good student, you know what you need to do to stay fit/lose weight. Five or six blow-out days a year aren't going to hinder your well-being in the slightest. Enjoy your food, live it up and the next day...it's back on the horse.
  • MadDogManor
    MadDogManor Posts: 1,440 Member
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    GrahamSS - sounds like southern Italy - I learned to cook while I lived in Napoli.

    Hopefully my plan of drinking water and portion control goes off without a hitch this year.

    Happy holiday season
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
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    Over the holidays, I generally don't worry about calories. I don't gorge out or anything, but I'm not that bothered.

    My strategy for handling parties and pot lucks and that type of thing is usually to just eat lighter the rest of the time so it balances out. Like, I might skip breakfast and have a really low calorie lunch for a couple of days or something. Or do some extra workouts. It's what has worked best for me, but obviously just find what works for you :)
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
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    Watch out for the fru-fru drinks.
    Wine, light beer, the hard stuff on the rocks or low cal mixers, for the most part and maybe 1 full bodied beer or fru-fru drink per occasion. Always alternate with sparking water with a slice of lime in a fancy glass.
    Hmmmm, you can guess my priority at these events.
    I have the food under control- sample everything I like then I won't feel cheated out of a flavour. Always save cals for desert.
    I have a 102-107lb sliding maintenance weight and am already for the holiday season having reached the low end today.
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
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    Firstly, I'm getting the impression that the holiday season is quite long in the US. For us (in our house I mean) Christmas will be dinnertime on the 24th December until 2nd January, and that's an unusually holiday in so far that we've booked off the days in between too.

    In the past I have "prepared" for a holiday by losing some weight beforehand. This time I'm going to try a more balanced approach and not over-eat too much, just to give it a go.

    I am considering writing a list of what I would like to eat so that I don't feel I'm depriving myself of anything and so that I'm in control. For example, when I think about it, I would really want to eat more than 5 mince pies. 5 would be as satisfying as 15.
  • gabbo34
    gabbo34 Posts: 289 Member
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    BruceHedtke wrote: »
    If you're talking about "parties", I would say watch your portions, fill up on the healthy while tasting the decadent and save some calories for that night.

    But, when it comes to the big Holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July ((Mothers Day for me)) or something like a Super Bowl party), I say just let go for one day. Don't worry too much about calories. MFP should be used as a site where you learn how to live healthy and if you're a good student, you know what you need to do to stay fit/lose weight. Five or six blow-out days a year aren't going to hinder your well-being in the slightest. Enjoy your food, live it up and the next day...it's back on the horse.

    I agree completely. This should be about a lifestyle change over the long term. A 'bad' eating day with family and friends isn't going to derail anyone over their goal for the long term. I'll do a little more exercise and make sure I'm not going to use it as an excuse to overeat on 'regular' days during the holidays. But at parties/holiday dinners I'm going to indulge (not over-indulge.)

  • DvlDwnInGA
    DvlDwnInGA Posts: 368 Member
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    Eat what you want, then go back to tracking the next day. Thanksgiving and Christmas meals did not make you fat, overall lifestyle and eating choices did.

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