Whats your 12 Days of Eating ( Christmas ) Survival plan?

juliet3455
juliet3455 Posts: 3,015 Member
edited November 9 in Motivation and Support
What do you plan on doing to help keep you on track and prevent a weight gain when there seems to be a new Christmas Treat in the Lunch / Break room every day. If you are like me I have 4 Christmas " Luncheons " at work in the next 2 weeks, plus Staff Christmas party, Curling Club Christmas Party, 2nd Staff Christmas Luncheon and then we start out family gatherings. The song 12 days of Christmas should be change to " The 12 Days of Eating ".

Mine are:
1) Avoid the Break room. Go to the pool or the Gym at noon
2) Portion control - Portion control - Portion Control. No Seconds except water.
3) Start with a large glass of water before you pickup the plate for the Buffets.
4) Use the smallest plate you can find and nothing is allowed to be on the Rim/Lip of the plate.
5) Skip the High Fat High carb goodies. No Deserts unless they are Fruit based.

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    too many rules….

    eat the food you like and maintain your deficit..

    if you go over on one or two days, no biggie…log it, own it, and move on to the next day ..

    and no desert, really?????
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    Hmm... I plan on baking!! Cookies, cakes, flan, cinnamon rolls... mmmmmm!!! :yum:
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    Mine is to eat at maintenance or maybe a tiny bit over, on Christmas Day, and work out every day except Christmas to give myself a bit of leeway. Other than that, status quo?
  • blueakama
    blueakama Posts: 399 Member
    My plan is to fill up on vegetables, and try to limit myself on nibblies. Enjoy dessert and go for a walk the same day.

    I've decided not to drink alcohol because it will definitely push me over my calorie goal. I'll have a beer another day when I've earnt it. :)
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    Lol.nope.
  • OrangeBabelfish
    OrangeBabelfish Posts: 67 Member
    My plan is to have some days "off" - Christmas Eve I will likely go over calories. I will indulge and have what I want, but smaller portions rather than piling my plate with the stuff I don't really want to eat and just drooling over the stuff I do. Skip the Baileys and only have 1 or 2 clean spirits & mixers.

    I am also not going to fret over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, someone's wedding, and New Year's Eve. I have been good for the past 2 months. Those 4 days may put me over. Heck, they may even lead me to a small gain. But it won't be permanent, and I am not going to sit there and be miserable over 1lb or 2lb.

    Note = I am not going to pig out, and write the whole 12 days off. Just a few of them, and attempt to put in some exercise. You only live once. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.
  • misskarihari
    misskarihari Posts: 104 Member
    Eat it, enjoy it, move on. :)
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    My plan is to enjoy my friends, family and indulge in what I want. What's the worst thing that's going to happen a few days out of the year I might eat at maintenance or omg go slightly over, if I focus on what happens the rest of the year it won't make a difference.

    I started this to enjoy life, not worry and base every decision on calories. If my weight is up a few lbs it will be gone within a week. Not a big deal when you look at the bigger picture
  • Superbuddhapunk
    Superbuddhapunk Posts: 5 Member
    For me there's no change, everyday is game day. No cheat day, no off day, no compromise.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    too many rules….

    eat the food you like and maintain your deficit..

    if you go over on one or two days, no biggie…log it, own it, and move on to the next day ..

    and no desert, really?????

    BAM!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Today I planned for, as we're having a potluck this evening. Eat light through the day (yogurt so far, probably a banana for lunch) so I can enjoy all the things. I've already been to the gym, so that gives me some more calories to work with. The 25th I'll eat a plate of things, and if my gym is closed and it's too cold to walk then so be it. I have to be at work at midnight that night anyway, and then I'm going to breakfast with my coworkers when we're done. Saturday morning I'll get back on track.
  • shadowloss
    shadowloss Posts: 293 Member
    I honestly don't plan on changing a thing. I will continue to limit portions and limit less than healthy options.

    What is amazing to me, is that I've been making the changes for over 4 months now, with some progress in my weight reduction, and the fact that it is the holidays, doesn't even phase me. I honestly think I've made the life style change and don't have to worry about "dieting" over the holidays. Hmmm, possibly one of my best NSV.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    No plan.

    I don't partake in office treats any time of year, so Christmas is no different. We have a luncheon on Tuesday and I will be eating what's there, logging the meal as accurately as I can given the situation, and staying within my calorie limit for the day. Christmas Eve will be a free-for-all, and Christmas day won't be much better. I won't be skipping any workouts, but I will surely be over in calories. No biggie. Friday will be business as usual. That weekend will also be pretty messy as far as calories go. Sunday shouldn't be any different than any other weekend day, but Sunday I've got dinner and a movie with my husband and I plan on eating quite a lot of food.

    This past Thanksgiving, I ate whatever I wanted from Thursday-Sunday and even went over 4000 calories on two of those days. I went back to normal the following week (and did not eat a lot less to "make up" for the holiday) and the next Saturday, I'd actually lost weight. In other words, there's no need to make a list of rules for yourself. No dessert?! That's absolutely insane. As long as you don't use the holiday as an excuse to completely and permanently abandon your goals long-term, it's not going to make that big of a difference in the long run.
  • Grace215lbs
    Grace215lbs Posts: 129 Member
    Eating maintenance all xmas, so far it's working. Was considering doing 5:2 during the Christmas week but i should be fine.
  • Grace215lbs
    Grace215lbs Posts: 129 Member
    Lasmartchika wrote: »
    Hmm... I plan on baking!! Cookies, cakes, flan, cinnamon rolls... mmmmmm!!! :yum:

    I'll happily have one of those cinnamon rolls! :D Soooo tasty!
  • spirit095
    spirit095 Posts: 1,017 Member
    I don't really have a plan. I'm trying to find my maintenance calories now, so I'll eat around there during Christmas. I'm going away for 4 days over New Years and I just plan to enjoy myself and eat what I want. I won't be tracking calories then. When I get back, I'll probably go back to maintenance or a little under for a bit to get rid of the water weight. It's not a huge deal or setback for me. I don't like to over complicate things :)
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    I plan to use this technique I learned about at Thanksgiving called Skinny Stalking. Or was it Skinny Stealthing?


















    Just kidding. I plan to eat the delicious food and enjoy it. This week so far I've had a work dinner, a work luncheon, a holiday dinner with friends, and still have another work luncheon, a holiday open house, and date night with my husband. It's going to be a delicious week, followed by another delicious week and then January starts all over!









  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    We have dinners, gatherings and parties regularly all year round, so this time of year is not different in that respect. There is a lot more candy around now for sure, though. Luckily, candy is not a weekness for me. Now, those cheese balls are another story.
  • LadyGrey75
    LadyGrey75 Posts: 55 Member
    Eat Drink and be Merry!
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    Grace215lbs wrote: »
    Lasmartchika wrote: »
    Hmm... I plan on baking!! Cookies, cakes, flan, cinnamon rolls... mmmmmm!!! :yum:

    I'll happily have one of those cinnamon rolls! :D Soooo tasty!

    I swear the oven calls to me every year. I hate cooking, I cook to live and not starve to death. BUT I LOVE TO BAKE!!! :yum:
  • lthames0810
    lthames0810 Posts: 722 Member
    Something must be wrong with my workplace. There has only been one little tin of cookies in here (not anyone's home baking.) I feel cheated. But also relieved.

    I only have one big family gathering on Christmas eve. If I hit the bourbon eggnog early and often, maybe my husband will take me home before I embarass him and before I eat too much. Sound like a plan?

    In all seriousness, though, this is truly a time to enjoy and appreciate our family and friends. Sadly, they won't all be with us in years to come. I don't feel like this is a time to be pre-occupied with counting the calories I'm eating. Eat, drink and be merry!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I thought of this post when I went to the kitchen at work and found a 25 lb box of Hershey's minatures that a client has sent! :o
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
    I plan on eating whatever I want on Christmas & then going back to how I normally eat.

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    My plan is to eat it all.
  • madrose0715
    madrose0715 Posts: 463 Member
    I will eat light during the mornings to allow for all the treats and rich dinners, plus focussing on lots of cardio for the next 7-10 days.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Other than my regular daily fair? Only eat it if it's going to be delicious. TRULY delicious.
  • Kenda2427
    Kenda2427 Posts: 1,592 Member
    I will eat as normal up to Christmas. Christmas Eve and Day I will be over but I will hit the treadmill to off set it a little . I know I will gain a little and that's ok. Christmas comes but once a year and it's my favorite time of year so I will enjoy it food and all but not to excess. Keep moving and back on track on the 27th.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    My plan is to eat it all.

    Me too. And then some more.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Whats your 12 Days of Eating ( Christmas ) Survival plan?

    Eat & train...rinse and repeat...

    Honestly though, it's all about portion control...I don't have a gazillion rules to follow...I just practice portion control and move on.

    It also helps that when I go to these parties and whatnot...I generally find the food to be substandard...it baffles me that people think commercially baked goods are yummy or that a pie or cake from the grocery store tastes good. To boot, it seems like there are only a handful of people left in the world who actually know how to cook (I would be one of them).

    My bigger issue this time of year is kick *kitten* craft beer...I love winter brews.
  • DerekVTX
    DerekVTX Posts: 287 Member
    madrose0715 wrote: »
    I will eat light during the mornings to allow for all the treats and rich dinners, plus focussing on lots of cardio for the next 7-10 days.
    +1
    I will eat very lean early on in the day, abstain from the sugary treats, and get some cardio in......but there is no way I am passing on the Turkey and Veggies.
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