How to Survive the Holidays?

Eat at a bigger deficit when you can to 'bank' calories to make up for the days when you WILL go over. And don't eat something just because it's there... only if you REALLY want it.

This year I'm taking the pressure off and just making sure I maintain. If I lose a little great if not I'm okay. I'm eating holiday things I don't get every day and skipping things I can have anytime when it comes to parties etc. example today was my work potluck. I got a sugar high headache from the delicious brownie carmel things. The rest of the work week I will have healthy meals and snacks. Then a party on Saturday which I plan on eating before I go to so I don't indulge too much.
Then December 26th I'll be back at it with weightloss calorie goals.

STOP surviving and LIVE. Remember the most important part are your family and loved ones. If like me part of the reason for getting healthy is to be around for them, being healthy is not so much of a chore. When eating, my strategy is to eat what I really want and love (in reasonable portions)and leave the rest.
Switching your focus to the people around you who you may not see often, can take focus off food. Go for walks together. When my brother comes home, we like playing WII games together like "Just Dance". We laugh and catch up and love just being silly.

lilmiss_sunshine29 wrote: »

- up the exercise wherever possible

This^^^. And portion control. Enjoy your holiday food. Just don't completely pig out on portions, and try to amp up your workout frequency and intensity.

I know it's very common to hear people telling you not to deprive yourself of certain things, and that you can eat everything in moderation. But just really focus and learn where you fall on this spectrum. For me, personally, there are a lot of holiday goodies I can take just a bite or two out of to satisfy that craving. However, there are others, such as Reese's, which I can't. If I have one bite of a Reese's cup, I get this overwhelming urge to binge on everything until I feel physically sick. For that reason, I have been way more successful completely avoiding Reese's cups rather than "eating them in moderation."
Also, just because you get something from someone, doesn't mean you have to eat it. Sure, it may be the polite thing to do, but is it really polite to give something to someone knowing it will be hard on them or make them feel down on themselves? Just simply accept it, thank them, then maybe give it to a family member who will appreciate it more. No need to be rude or hostile, but you should still recognize your ability to control what you consume. Meanwhile, just try to focus on the non-food related aspects of this joyous season (I know that's easier said than done), like catching up with old friends and watching holiday movies, with low-fat (or no butter) popcorn, if you feel popcorn is absolutely necessary! The good thing about our food obsessed world today is that any junk food pretty much has a healthier alternative available!
I wish you the best of luck, I know holidays aren't easy! If you slip up, don't beat yourself up, just get right back on track!

Personally, I fully intend to stick with my low carb/cal restricted plan for the holidays. I have survived Halloween and Thanksgiving cheat-free, though I know Christmas will be a bigger struggle. The parties never end! The cookies are everywhere. Haha.

But I have faith in myself to pull through. I know a lot of people like to say "treat yoself" for the holidays and I think that's perfectly acceptable and healthy, but personally, I want to "treat myself" to being thinner and healthier than ever in 2015, and I don't want to wait a moment to do so.

Treat the holidays as you treat every other time of the year. You want a cookie, eat it & enjoy it, just pass up on the gravy and other not-so healthy fixings you can do without. Donate your sweets to shelters or other groups [it's what I do, I just have to do it before hubby opens them up since he's a chocolate & cookie freak]. And, like other posters have said, get up and move.