keeping weight off over holiday and winter months
brenn24179
Posts: 2,144 Member
I am up 4 lbs and finding it difficult this time of year. What is helping you?1) I keep telling myself I don't have to go to every eating event,2) I don't have to eat everything.3) I wear my jeans and not stretch pants.
Food just seems to taste so good this time of year. 4) I need to socialize more rather than eat.
5) so much temptation, I keep saying but you have to take care of yourself,love yourself enough not to overeat.
Any other tips helping you, maintaining is just as hard if not harder than losing. For those trying to get there it is a lifelong thing, still difficult for me but worth it. oh yes a 6) remembering how I felt when I was heavy, miserable and did not respect myself
Food just seems to taste so good this time of year. 4) I need to socialize more rather than eat.
5) so much temptation, I keep saying but you have to take care of yourself,love yourself enough not to overeat.
Any other tips helping you, maintaining is just as hard if not harder than losing. For those trying to get there it is a lifelong thing, still difficult for me but worth it. oh yes a 6) remembering how I felt when I was heavy, miserable and did not respect myself
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What I do is grab something to drink that looks like a drink - club soda and lime, and never set it down. I also stand as much as I can and let others sit. If I have a sit down dinner party type of thing I just don't eat it all. No bread, no pasta, no rice, no potato. It has served me well since Christmas Eve 2011.0
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Chose healthier options for food. Have smaller portions. And keep that bottled water on hand drinks lots will keep you full. Best of all don't deprive yourself a tiny amount will not hurt. And "Talk to yourself it truly helps
Good luck 0 -
Teeny, tiny portion sizes! For Thanksgiving, I took small portions of everything so I could enjoy some of everything, but not feel too guilty about it.
I also found some low fat/sugar dessert recipes to make for Christmas this year.0 -
Go to all the parties, and all the restaurant meals, and all the pub nights ... But after having exercised a very big lot beforehand!
I budget so that I can have whatever I want, but it does mean lots of gym time. It's totally worth it!0 -
Workout more and eat lighter meals (but don't NOT eat) the day of events and enjoy myself. On days I don't have something, I eat at a lower calorie allowance to balance out the week.
And you don't have to join the clean plate club. If you try something and it's not delicious, don't eat more just to be polite!0 -
I give in. Eat and drink and enjoy myself at Thanksgiving / Xmas... just a couple days won't kill you. But the weeks between those dates, I hold myself to eating better/lower calories. I've also worked out every day since Nov 1 alternating between legs/arms/cardio so I don't work anything too hard, but still burn calories every day. My goal this month is to stay the *same* weight - and you know what, 1 month a year, I'm ok with that.0
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I still enjoy it, just in smaller portions. Thanksgiving I skipped the mashed potatoes so I could have a little bit more of the sweet potato casserole and added more green beans. I don't think k a couple of days during this season will hurt, especially if you're still doing good all of the other days. Maybe try logging your food before going and sticking with that? That's helped me.0
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a couple of days wont hurt but food is everywhere every day it seems. Hubby says bring me some chocolate santas home a few minutes ago. Moderation, yep, I am trying. Logging is helping but to be honest I been going over about 800 daily, not good, trying again today. I find if I do a light supper that helps.0
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i am signed up for a March Half-marathon. it's keeping me focused on running and eating right.
but i still enjoy myself at family dinners. just need to be moderate.0 -
What I'm doing if forcing myself to eat better. I really can't say it any other way. Today I had this huge black tie event at the Sequoia right next to the Kennedy Center for Christmas and let me tell you about the food selection there. You should have seen the cookies and snacks at the end. I went right to the fruit, and that's what I filled my plate up with. I did some eggs, bacon and one glass of red wine. That was it. I ate right away once we arrived so I wouldn't have an accident as I eat without even thinking at times. I exercised 95 minutes early in the morning. Anything now I put in my stomach I think about. My motivation is I want to look pretty at my age and fit into my size 6 pants if it kills me. Now I'm a small person petite so that size is not for everyone. But I look every day at that expensive Ann Klein size 6 pants and I think I can do it..0
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Sixteen days off from work over the break, like the last two years, I will commit to three a day sessions, and keep food intake within reason, Christmas day is the only day of the year I don t care how much I eat.0
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Eat light leading up to the event(s) and then enjoy my time/food when I go to said places. Also, just keeping up my current exercise, and if possible, get a little extra.0
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Just keep in mind what you're doing and why you're doing it. But be realistic with your plans....I am having Christmas day off!0
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bump0
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Eh so far for me it's sticking to a deficit whenever I can... Pretty much trying to avoid treats and eating a whole lot of protein and veggies during the week, so on the days I go over, I have some calories 'banked'. My goal is also 150-200 calories under my TDEE for that reason, and on good days I can eat 300 under that even.
I've been doing that for 2 weeks and so far it pretty much evens out, even if I had a couple 3000+ days.0 -
I guess you just have to ask yourself "is it worth the calories?" I have a friend who has a 3 bite rule. If she wants a taste, she will only have 3 bites.
Do what is right and works for you. If you can get through the holidays and go right back to eating sensibly when they are over, it is probably not a big deal.
For me, it would be the start of a slippery slope. One day leads to two, then a week, then a month, then a year, then a decade. Constant monitoring myself is the only way for me. I will not allow myself to go back and become one of the statistics who went from being morbidly obese to a normal weight, and then gains back even more weight after being successful. I have spent almost 3 years getting to where I am and it simply is not worth it to me to give in to the temptation.0 -
you are right, it is a slippery slope, I like the 3 bite rule, in fact I just did that with hubbys whopper, I am forcing myself right now to do right. I don't want that weight back and be out of my clothes. I am going right now to try on my shorts and it is like 30 degrees here. I don't care I want to be able to wear them when summer comes. It is a great feeling, thanks for the replies.
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Look over all the goodies, pick the best in small amounts, leave the rest. And then eat veggies to keep my mouth busy so I don't eat just to eat!
Eat cold cuts or protein and skip the bread and potatoes.
I also drink water instead of punch or soda and only drink eggnog in one LITTLE glass. That leaves a lot more calories for goodies.
I love to cook and bring something I can eat a lot of to anything that's potluck. I find that it's not just me that's happy to see something healthy to much on.
And when I want to eat, I just EAT. Meals are to enjoy. Log it. Make up for it the rest of the week, and go on.0 -
This is my first-ever holiday season of being active on My Fitness Pal. I lost 42 pounds this year (and gained 1 in the last week, so right now it's a net of 41 - I've kept alternately losing/gaining that pound for the last month!). It is REALLY REALLY hard for me at this time of year, but I've been walking at least a mile on the treadmill most days of the week, taking Vitamin D religiously, and logging every single day except maybe 3 or 4 "vacation" days per month (parties, etc.). I am still over my calorie goal many days, but it's probably not nearly as bad as it would be if I didn't log at all. I bet I ate at least 4000 calories a day during the holidays last year, now it's about half that.
Hoping in January it will be easier - fewer parties, slightly more daylight which helps with seasonal depression, more time to get to the gym, etc.
Edit: The suggestions about exercising more and/or eating lighter meals on party days are great! I'm trying to drink overall more green tea and smoothies with almond milk (and sometimes some spinach) too. Low in calories, but still satisfying and tasty.0 -
The holidays are fast upon us. Just wanted to share this with everyone. It's not what you eat from Thanksgiving to Christmas. It's what you eat from Christmas to Thanksgiving that really matters. Life is short. Don't go crazy, but enjoy!
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I'm maintaining, so perhaps this is a little different, but I find that it helps to plan for high calorie days by losing some extra weight to "eat in to". This has worked for me, so that a day or so after over-eating I back where I was.0
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I'm doing my best to maintain this month without being super strict about tracking. I'm thinking of it as a test, if I can make it through this month, I can do anything So on days when there is a lot of food, I will eat what I want in moderation. But on regular days, just continuing what I have done in the past 9 months, eating at a deficit whenever possible 0
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Honestly I'm just avoiding fattening food and food based events. When they have potlucks and treat days at work I hide in my cubicle and don't go. Those family events I can't avoid, I take tiny portions of the least fattening things and drink a lot of water. Also, workouts! I didn't screw up over Thanksgiving so I am confident I can manage to not screw up over Christmas/Yule as well.0
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I pick and choose what I absolutely want, and pass on all the rest!0
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On dinner parties where everybody brings something, I pick a healthy choice to bring. Monitor my calorie intake with the calories burned and take small portions or skip the dishes I'm not sure of or look fattening. Stick to the meats and veggies and fruits and avoid the dinner rolls. If it's appetizers--constantly have a glass of water in hand, eat slowly and if I do have a glass of wine (slip slowly and follow by a bottle of water). Eat something before I go so that I'm not as hungry when I'm there.
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I just worked out the other day that for me, 200 cal = 4k of running.
I reckon this is probably a good thing to bear in mind over the holiday period haha..... is it worth having to get that run in?!0 -
Within reason I eat what I want but try not to 'over eat', as I'm maintaining now, and keep up with exercise. I Keep the food diary going too and weigh myself weekly. It does work 0
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So I know this isn't good advice for everyone but if you're looking to gain muscle/strength it might be I've stressed about holiday gain in the past but this year I've decided to let the food/season work with me and not against me. I'm using the extra food intake to help fuel heavier lifting sessions and increase muscle mass. If I know I have an event where I'm going to eat more I'll do my most important lifting sessions around it (i.e.: legs, glutes, arms- also working on upping my bench press). I still track to make sure I'm not going to far over, but I get to enjoy myself and not stress over it. I've had great results so far, I feel much stronger and I'm up around 2 lbs but I actually feel like I look better Keeps me from doing restrict/binge cycles and feeling guilty which I've done in the past . 0
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